Who’s Eligible to Vote?

Recall the Georgia runoff elections for two Federal Senate seats and the parallel efforts by both parties to register new voters—including encouraging folks from out of State to become citizens of the State and register to vote on that 5 Jan 21 election day.

Here’s Tracy Beanz of UncoverDC.com:

In reading the GA constitution, it appears that newly registered voters should NOT be eligible to vote in the runoff election.

Here’s the Georgia Constitution.  Here’s Section II, Paragraph II of that Constitution, which deals explicitly with runoff elections (some folks really do plan ahead):

Paragraph II. Run-off election. A run-off election shall be a continuation of the general election and only persons who were entitled to vote in the general election shall be entitled to vote therein; and only those votes cast for the persons designated for the runoffs shall be counted in the tabulation and canvass of the votes cast.

Thus, any citizen of Georgia who hadn’t registered to vote in the 3 Nov 20 election, and so wasn’t entitled to vote then, doesn’t seem entitled to vote in the continuation (runoff) election, even if he registers now.

That would seem to leave all the Johnny-Come-Latelies now entering the State to register and vote on 5 Jan still ineligible to vote on 5 Jan, although they can register to their heart’s content and vote in other, separate, elections in 2021. If they hang around and don’t leave (which latter could expose them to felony charges for violating Georgia election laws).

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