Welcome • User Guide
ToS • Privacy • Canary
Donate • Bugs • License

©2025 Poal.co

349

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms lied Tuesday in a Democratic fundraising email, claiming the new Georgia elections law passed by Republicans barred voters from accepting water in line at the polls.

In an email with the subject line, “Illegal to hand someone a bottle of water if they’re waiting in line to vote?” Bottoms wrote in bold, “Now, under S.B. 202, it’s illegal to hand voters a bottle of water while they wait in line.”

The new Georgia law, however, which expands early voting, offers no such broad prohibition on water given to voters in line.

While the law bars political interest groups from trying to influence voter decisions in line with refreshments punishable by misdemeanor, the new restrictions provide explicit exceptions to election workers.

> Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms lied Tuesday in a Democratic fundraising email, claiming the new Georgia elections law passed by Republicans barred voters from accepting water in line at the polls. > In an email with the subject line, “Illegal to hand someone a bottle of water if they’re waiting in line to vote?” Bottoms wrote in bold, “Now, under S.B. 202, it’s illegal to hand voters a bottle of water while they wait in line.” > The new Georgia law, however, which expands early voting, offers no such broad prohibition on water given to voters in line. > While the law bars political interest groups from trying to influence voter decisions in line with refreshments punishable by misdemeanor, the new restrictions provide explicit exceptions to election workers.

(post is archived)

[–] • 1 pt

SB 202, March 25: (a) No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector, nor shall any person solicit signatures for any petition, nor shall any person, other than election officials discharging their duties, establish or set up any tables or booths on any day in which ballots are being cast:

[–] • 0 pt

“This Code section shall not be construed to prohibit a poll officer from … making available self-service water from an unattended receptacle to an elector waiting in line to vote,”

[–] • 1 pt

Is this unattended receptacle where voters in line pass by it, or do they have to leave the line to get water and then go the end of the line because they got out of line?

[–] • 1 pt

The section allows for food and drink to be made available to voters by anyone if it is not directly in view of the line. It also allows for an unattended water receptacle to be made available. It doesn't specify the distance for that.

The purpose of the changes is simple. To prevent electioneering. There have been laws against that for decades. Poll workers can make food and water available because they're not (at least they're not supposed to be) advocating for any particular candidate.