Karen Handel, the Georgia Secretary of State, has written this opinion piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It begins: “Taking the lead from the Democratic Party of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution advocates that Gov. Sonny Perdue and I make up election law just four days before Election Day. As the newspaper is very aware, even if the authority existed — which it does not — Georgia is covered under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which means that any changes in election procedures must be ‘precleared’ by the U.S. Department of Justice before they can be implemented.”
I would think that a preclearance request to keep pols open longer hours would be quickly approved by the DOJ. Does anyone know if Florida sought preclearance for its extended polling hours in its covered counties?