Political Rewind: 3 p.m. deadline to unseal Mar-a-Lago warrant; Election officials on SB 202 impact

Caption

A voter drops their ballot off during early voting, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Athens, Ga. Since the 2021 passage of Senate Bill 202, which overhauled elections in Georgia, the numbers of and access to such drop boxes have been limited.

Credit: John Bazemore/The Associated Press

The panel:

Andra Gillespie, @AndraGillespie, professor of political science & director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University

Joseph Kirk, Bartow County elections director

Mark Niesse, @markniesse, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter covering voting and elections

Matt Brown, @mrbrownsir, Washington Post Democracy Team reporter

The breakdown:

1. Merrick Garland says DOJ filed motion to unseal the Mar-a-Lago warrant and property receipt.

• Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform late Thursday night that he will not oppose the release of documents.
  • But the Department of Justice has until 3 p.m. today to confirm this choice from Trump and his lawyers. 

2. History of voting rights in Georgia and how they affect voters of color.

• The passing of the 15th Amendment gave Black men the right to vote, but there were still discriminatory practices such as poll taxes, literary tests and outright discrimination. 
• The Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964 all attempted to strengthen the voting rights of African Americans to little avail. Only the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave teeth to the enforcement of non-discriminatory laws and practices. 

3. Changes in Senate Bill 202 and how they affect election workers.

• SB 202 is a 98-page election overhaul passed in 2021. This year's May primaries were the first statewide test of these changes. 
  • The measure provided changes to requesting absentee ballots, changes to early voting, and changes that affect local election offices.

4. How is turnout affected by Georgia's new voting law?

• We have less than 90 days until Georgia's primary election. You must register to voter by Oct. 10.
  • You can check your voter registration status here.

5. How are drop boxes being affected across the country?

• A quarter of Georgia voters saw their travel time to a drop box increase from the 2020 election.
• Matt Brown said that other states like Wisconsin are also seeing a drop in access to drop boxes. 

Monday on Political Rewind: Host Bill Nigut returns. Enjoy your weekend!