Georgia Senate passes bill to silence voters who look like LeBron

This fight isn’t over.

On Monday, the Georgia Senate passed an election bill, also expected to pass through the state’s House of Representatives, to significantly restrict absentee voting in the battleground state.

The law would repeal no-excuse absentee voting, which would limit the number of absentee ballots cast in a given election.

Mike Dugan, the Georgia GOP Senate leader and primary sponsor of the bill, said in February that limiting absentee voting was vital to reduce the costs of processing ballots, relieve stress on local election workers, and increase the certainty that absentee ballots are counted.

We all know that’s a misdirection.

The impact Black and Brown voters in Georgia had at the polls this last calendar year has been nothing short of remarkable. These are the same ballots that flipped the U.S. Senate.

According to The Brennan Center for Justice, 253 bills nationwide could potentially limit voter access as of February 19.

The fight for political fairness in this country is ongoing. We need everyone to be aware of backhanded legislation and its chilling effect on the voices of American citizens.

LeBron James’ More Than A Vote organization announced it was working alongside the NBA and its players association to combat voter suppression tactics in the state of Georgia. The league just finished up its All-Star festivities in Atlanta, where James served as a team captain.

James has fought against voter suppression for years, and has encouraged other athletes like Patrick Mahomes and sprinter Allyson Felix to join the cause. After an encouraging 2020, it seems the temperature is rising for Republican lawmakers, who now feel compelled to interfere in the democratic process. Organizations like More Than A Vote will be needed now more than ever.

It’ll take all of us, including high-profile athletes like James, to keep our democratic process in line.