Justice Department Dismisses Controversial Georgia Voting Lawsuit

ATLANTA, Ga. — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that the Justice Department will dismiss a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s voting law, known as SB 202, which was passed by Republican lawmakers after President Donald Trump‘s 2020 election loss.

The lawsuit, initiated in June 2021 under the Biden administration, alleged that SB 202 aimed to restrict Black voters’ access to the ballot. In response, Bondi stated that the Biden administration propagated what she called “false claims of suppression.”

“Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us,” Bondi said during her announcement.

Georgia’s controversial law, which tightens voting regulations, was met with swift backlash from prominent corporations. In March 2021, both the CEOs of Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola criticized the bill, and Major League Baseball‘s commissioner announced the relocation of the All-Star Game from Atlanta.

Both Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger condemned the original lawsuit when it was filed. Following Bondi’s announcement, Raffensperger described the dismissal as “a significant win for Georgia voters.”

“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 stated.

Kemp echoed Raffensperger’s sentiments and criticized Democrats for spreading misinformation. He stated, “Georgia is one of the top states in the country for early voting and experienced record voter turnout in multiple elections since the passage of the Elections Integrity Act.”

SB 202, officially known as the Election Integrity Act of 2021, includes provisions such as a voter ID requirement for mail-in ballots, a reduced timeframe for requesting mail-in ballots, and fewer ballot drop boxes in populous counties that lean Democratic, with significant Black populations. It also prohibits the distribution of food and water to voters waiting in line.

Bondi noted that Black voter turnout in Georgia “actually increased” following the law’s enactment. However, the Brennan Center for Justice reported that while the number of ballots cast by Black voters rose from 2020 to 2024, turnout declined by 0.6%—meaning the increase didn’t match population growth.

“Understanding whether, or to what extent, these declines are due to restrictive voting policies such as Georgia’s S.B. 202, justifiable feelings that the government is not working for them, or myriad other factors will be of signal importance,” the analysis stated.

Aside from the Justice Department’s lawsuit, several other legal actions have been initiated by civil rights groups claiming violations of the Constitution and federal Voting Rights Act regarding the alleged discriminatory effects of the Georgia law.