Georgia's Voting Reforms Proved Successful, Boosting Turnout

Governor Brian Kemp argues the state's new election law made voting easier while preventing fraud

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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After Georgia passed a new voting reform law in 2021, Democrats and the media accused the state of enacting 'Jim Crow 2.0' voter suppression. However, the 2022 and 2024 elections have shown the opposite - record turnout, especially among Black voters, and overwhelmingly positive voting experiences. Governor Brian Kemp says the law addressed issues from the 2020 election while making it 'easy to vote and hard to cheat'.

Why it matters

The debate over Georgia's voting reforms highlights the ongoing partisan divide over election laws, with Democrats accusing Republicans of voter suppression while GOP leaders argue the changes improve election integrity. The outcomes in Georgia provide evidence that voter ID requirements and other election reforms can boost participation without disenfranchising voters, challenging the 'Jim Crow' narrative.

The details

Georgia's Election Integrity Act, signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp in 2021, implemented several changes including new voter ID requirements for absentee ballots. Democrats and corporations like Coca-Cola strongly criticized the law as voter suppression, but Kemp says the changes addressed issues from the 2020 election and made voting easier while preventing fraud.

  • In March 2021, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the Election Integrity Act into law.
  • In the 2022 midterm elections, Georgia set a record for total votes cast.
  • On the final day of early voting in the 2024 election, Black voter turnout in Georgia reached a record high.

The players

Brian Kemp

The Republican governor of Georgia who signed the Election Integrity Act into law in 2021.

Chuck Schumer

The Democratic Senate Minority Leader who has criticized the Georgia law as equivalent to 'Jim Crow' voter suppression.

James Quincey

The CEO of Coca-Cola, which is based in Atlanta, who publicly rebuked Georgia's voting reform law.

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What they’re saying

“The bill that we passed made it easy to vote and hard to cheat. It dealt with the mechanical issues that we saw in the 2020 election with things like drop boxes and confusion because of all kinds of different groups mailing out absentee ballot applications.”

— Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia (washingtonexaminer.com)

“This legislation is unacceptable. It is a step backwards … and needs to be remedied, and we will continue to advocate for it both in private and now even more in public.”

— James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola (washingtonexaminer.com)

What’s next

The University of Georgia plans to conduct another survey after the 2024 elections to further assess voter experiences and turnout under Georgia's new election laws.

The takeaway

Georgia's 2022 and 2024 elections have shown that the state's voting reforms, including new voter ID requirements, did not suppress turnout but rather boosted participation, especially among Black voters. This challenges the 'Jim Crow 2.0' narrative pushed by Democrats and provides evidence that election integrity measures can be implemented without disenfranchising voters.