On Tuesday, President Biden stood in front of a small crowd in Georgia and delivered a very loud speech about the Democrats’ proposed voting-rights bills and the importance of defending the right to vote for all people. During his speech, Biden blamed former President Trump, shouted at onlookers, and babbled about a possible previous arrest. What he didn’t do, however, was to provide any legitimate reason why or how the new Georgia voting laws cause voter suppression or election subversion. To the contrary, his speech was loaded with broad and inaccurate generalizations and fallacious conclusions. Tougher election and voting laws don’t make it harder to vote. Rather, they make it much harder to cheat.
According to Biden, the new voting laws in Georgia (and other states) are designed to suppress the right to vote and to subvert the nation’s elections. In his speech, he directly blamed Republicans for such “undemocratic” efforts. In doing so, he tried to use the Georgia law to support his broad and unsubstantiated generalizations. His effort was woefully inadequate.
For example, during his speech, Biden stated, “voting by mail is a safe and convenient way to get more people to vote, so they’re making it harder for you to vote by mail.” This statement is simply inaccurate. Voting by mail is safe if there are proper safeguards in place, which is what the Georgia law purportedly does. Specifically, the new law in GA reduces the time for voters to request absentee ballots. It also adds more stringent requirements for those requesting absentee ballots to ensure that those who are casting ballots are who they say they are. Biden and the Democrats are treating voters like they are little children who can’t figure out how to request or complete a ballot. This is not voter suppression, but an unjustified lack of faith in the American voter!
Moreover, the new Georgia law also prohibits election officials from mailing out absentee ballots to all registered voters and requires those who want such ballots to request them ahead of time and in a timely manner. That doesn’t make it harder to vote by mail. It makes voting by mail more secure. These safeguards in the Georgia law make it harder to cheat, not harder to vote by mail.
During his speech, Biden also vaguely spoke about the use of drop boxes, stating, “Dropping your ballots off to secure drop boxes — it’s safe, it’s convenient, and you get more people to vote. So they’re limiting the number of drop boxes and the hours you can use them.”
Biden is only partially right. The new law in Georgia limits the number of drop boxes and their hours of operation. It also requires that drop boxes be placed indoors at government buildings or at early-voting sites, among other requirements. Where Biden fails, however, is in his effort to explain how these new rules result in voter suppression or election subversion.
Drop boxes, when left unattended, are subject to fraud and tampering. Moreover, there is absolutely no need to keep drop boxes open 24 hours a day. If people want to vote by way of drop box, it is entirely reasonable that they do so during set hours and at a location that is more secure. These mechanisms help to protect everyone’s vote!
As expected, Biden also attacked the new provision in the Georgia law allowing for the removal of election officials. Specifically, Biden stated:
And here’s how they plan to subvert the election: The Georgia Republican Party, the state legislature has now given itself the power to make it easier for partisan actors — their cronies — to remove local election officials.
But with this new law in Georgia, his loyal-his loyalists will be placed in charge of state elections. (Laughs.) What is that going to mean? Well, the chances for chaos and subversion are even greater as partisans seek the result they want — no matter what the voters have said, no matter what the count. The votes of nearly 5 million Georgians will be up for grabs if that law holds.
Their endgame? To turn the will of the voters into a mere suggestion — something states can respect or ignore.
This, too, is mere conjecture and speculation. The new law in Georgia permits the State Election Board to suspend county election officials. However, as reported by The New York Times:
The law does state that the bar for suspension is high: either a minimum of three clear violations of State Election Board rules, or “demonstrated nonfeasance, malfeasance, or gross negligence in the administration of the elections” in two consecutive elections.
In essence, the new Georgia law takes some power away from the secretary of state and puts it in the hands of the State Election Board. In the 2020 election, such power was held by Brad Raffensperger, who “confirmed” Biden’s Georgia victory in the 2020 election, which is likely one reason why Biden opposes this change. Had Raffensperger decided to challenge Biden’s “victory” in 2020, Biden and his Democratic colleagues would likely be singing a different tune. The same can be said if the Democrats controlled the state legislature in Georgia. As such, his complaints are disingenuous, baseless, and amount to mere political theater.
Finally, Biden so desperately tried to make his point that he even referenced the Bible and brought up the provision in the Georgia law prohibiting others from bringing food or water (and other materials) to those waiting in line to vote. (This, too, was not entirely correct, as the new law allows for self-service water from an unattended receptacle for those waiting in line). Supposedly, this will result in voter suppression because people will be discouraged from standing in long lines, especially without food or water. Notwithstanding such claims, this provision is meant to prevent fraud, intimidation, or improper influence by third parties while voters are in line. This provision, like the others, makes things more secure and helps to prevent cheating.
Biden’s voting-rights speech was un-presidential and a complete failure. While Biden tried to convince Americans to support the Democrats’ voting-rights bills, he woefully failed to explain why they should do so. Rather, he used his short time on stage to scream and shout, attack Trump, make vile historical comparisons/references, and make broad and inaccurate generalizations and fallacious comments about the effects of the new voting laws in Georgia (and elsewhere). The Georgia voting law is necessary, as are similar voting laws around the nation. They have nothing to do with voter suppression or election subversion, and everything to do with election integrity and protecting the right to vote.
Time will tell if these laws can withstand legal scrutiny.
