A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s controversial new voting law, saying that the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to support their claims that the law violates the Voting Rights Act.
The law, which was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March, includes several provisions that Democrats say are designed to suppress minority and Democratic voter turnout, including new ID requirements for mail-in ballots and limits on ballot drop boxes.
Several civil rights groups and advocacy organizations filed the lawsuit in May, arguing that the law violates the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee acknowledged that the law will have some negative impact on voting access, but said that the plaintiffs did not show that those impacts would be significant enough to violate federal law.
The decision is a blow to Democrats and voting rights advocates who have been fighting against a wave of new voting laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures following the 2020 election.