ATLANTA — A Georgia election board voted to oppose ending no excuse absentee voting by mail on Tuesday morning.
This means Peach State voters will not have to meet certain criteria and will be able to participate in absentee voting without providing an excuse - a practice that has been in place since 2010.
The popular method has been a convenience for Georgia voters for almost 15 years. In 2009, voters had to fit six criteria to be able to cast an absentee ballot.
Dr. Janice Johnston, who is a Republican Party appointee on the board, started the effort.
A written recommendation explained the election board received several complaints about "duplicate voting, failure to mail or deliver ballots and defects in processing," leading the board to consider the change.
Opponents of the change believed it would restrict and limit voting access, especially for lower-income families and people who can't take time off from work to vote.
Lawmakers tried unsuccessfully in 2021 to pass a bill to limit voting by mail.