Protesters picket governor's mansion in opposition bill banning on outside election funds

ATLANTA - Protesters picketed outside the governor's mansion demanding Gov. Brian Kemp vetoes a bill which would make it a felony for local governments to accept money to fund elections from outside groups, except from the state or federal government.

Representatives from such groups as Black Voters Matter, Protect the Vote Georgia, Social Change, and Voices of the Emancipated gathered in Buckhead on Tuesday to show opposition to Senate Bill 222. They say the bill threatens election staffers with felony charges for accepting funds for burdened election centers.

State senators say the measure would tighten a provision from a 2021 Georgia law that made it illegal for elections officials themselves to accept outside money after Republicans grew alarmed that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated more than $400 million to election officials nationwide.

Recently, DeKalb County accepted $2 million from the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence to seek improvements and share best practices. The alliance includes the Center for Tech and Civic Life, Zuckerberg’s main funding vehicle from 2020. It set off a round of condemnations from Republicans that DeKalb had broken the law.

DeKalb County officials denied they violated the law. They said it’s legal for elected county commissioners to take money, as opposed to the election office.

The bill would require DeKalb to return the money.

Republicans said any money should be donated to the Georgia Secretary of State and divvied up according to directions from the State Elections Board, which is dominated by Republican appointees.

Democrats, though, said the 2021 law made it more expensive for counties to run elections and that without outside funding, counties may have to raise taxes to pay for the increased expenses.

They demanded that the state increase election funding to counties if Republicans aren’t going to allow outside grants.

Gov. Kemp has a 40-day window following the end of the legislative session to veto or sign bills.

The Associated Press contributed to this report