AJC:

Fresh on the heels of a new restrictive voting law prohibiting the provision of even water to voters who wait in line to vote, Georgia legislators on the last day of the legislative session advanced a measure criminalizing line-standing. Under the bill, any voter waiting more than 30 minutes in a voting line may be criminally punished for illegal loitering. Governor Kemp is expected to sign the measure.

“We understand in big cities, where lines typically are the longest, people want to vote like other Georgians,” a statement from Republican legislative leaders read. “But those rights need to be balanced with the right to tranquility and quiet in our streets.”

The Honest Elections Project praised the bill as a “common sense” measure aimed at bolstering voter confidence and preventing fraud. Heritage Action said the proposed law was necessary to prevent non-citizens in big cities from voting.