Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday directed the Department of Justice to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a Republican-backed Georgia election law that the DOJ previously alleged intentionally suppressed Black voters.
The lawsuit — filed under former President Joe Biden in June 2021 — alleged the law would disproportionately hinder Black voters’ access to the polls. But Bondi framed the case as politically motivated, saying it misrepresented the law’s effects.
“Contrary to the Biden Administration’s false claims of suppression, Black voter turnout actually increased under SB 202,” Bondi said in a press release for the announcement. “Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us.”
The law was part of a broader GOP effort to tighten voting rules nationwide following President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss, which prompted allegations of voter fraud in U.S. elections among Republicans.
Among other provisions, the legislation established a voter ID requirement for mail-in ballots, shortened the time period to request a mail-in ballot and limited the number of ballot drop boxes in metro Atlanta. Critics argue laws like these disproportionately affect marginalized communities and unfairly target Democratic-leaning voters.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who had previously pushed back against Trump, on Monday expressed gratitude for Bondi’s directive, saying it “reaffirms” that the state law “stands on solid legal ground.”
“Our commitment has always been to ensure fair and secure elections for every Georgian, despite losing an All-Star game and the left’s boycott of Georgia as a result of commonsense election law,” Raffensperger said in a press release.
This isn’t the Trump administration’s first move to support more restrictive voting rules. Last week, Trump signed a sweeping executive order targeting mail-in voting, directing the Justice Department to ensure all states reject ballots not received by Election Day. The order also calls for proof of citizenship to be added to the national voter registration form.
