Time Off to Early Vote? Georgia Says Yes

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill last week guaranteeing workers two hours off the clock if they want to vote early. Jim Crow 2.0 strikes again. For the record, that’s a wisecrack at President Biden’s expense. Mr. Biden has argued at length that Georgia’s election laws are designed to suppress turnout and make it harder for nonwhites in particular to cast a valid ballot.

Then why would Georgia make it easier to vote? Employers were previously required, if given reasonable notice, to grant workers up to two hours off on Election Day. S.B. 129, which the state Senate passed 46-3 in March, will extend the same rule to Georgia’s three weeks of early voting. “Georgians will have more options to cast a ballot during Advance Voting, and more confidence in the results,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wrote on Twitter when the bill was approved. “This bill is good for business, election officials, and Georgia voters.”