Georgia voting rights bill 2026: Democrats unveil new election protections proposal

GA Democrats unveil new Voting Rights Act at Capitol

Following the FBI’s raid on the Fulton County Elections headquarters, Georgia Democrats under the Gold Dome are going on the offense, introducing a new bill focusing on voting rights in the Peach State.

ATLANTA - Georgia Democratic lawmakers unveiled a new voting rights bill under the Gold Dome on Thursday. It is a move that comes as the State Election Board continues to grapple with the aftermath of a recent FBI raid on the Fulton County elections office.

Democrats push voting rights bill

What we know:

The legislative push and the election board's focus on "voter integrity" took center stage, highlighting a deep partisan divide over the handling of the 2020 election.

Georgia Democrats characterized the new legislation as a necessary defense against what they describe as attacks on voting rights at the federal level.

‘Protect fair access for all voters’

What they're saying:

"I think there is a move to interfere in state elections in Georgia and this is a step in that direction," lawmakers stated, insisting that states must pass legislation to "protect fair access for all voters." 

The proposed legislation aims to prohibit voter suppression and discrimination while expanding language access for voters. Additionally, the bill would increase election transparency and provide voters with the legal authority to challenge election discrimination in court.

Proponents of the bill expressed concern over the lack of stability in the current environment, noting, "There’s a lot of not knowing whether the state elections are going to completely change our voting system from one year to the next."

‘We are not the bad guys’

The other side:

While Democrats gathered at the capitol, Trump-aligned members of the State Election Board met miles away in Winder. For the first time since federal agents seized hundreds of boxes of documents from the Fulton County election hub, board members went on the record regarding the investigation into the 2020 election.

"Because today, here in Fulton County, our boats are in the custody of the federal government," said State Election Board Member Janelle King.

The State Election Board voted to send Fulton County officials a letter ordering them not to destroy any of the seized documents once they are eventually returned to the county by the FBI.

Board members defended the scrutiny of Fulton County, which has long been a flashpoint for election integrity debates.

"We’re certainly not here because of some power trip to Target Fulton County," one representative said. "We are here, because our election has been in question for a long time. Well, before 2020."

The board emphasized that the responsibility for the current tension lies with those who have failed their duties. "We are not the bad guys; those who break their oaths are."

The raid follows what officials described as a "do-si-do dance" performed by lawyers in Fulton County to avoid granting access to election documents and ballots, a conflict that ultimately involved both the State Election Board and the Department of Justice.