MLB (Major League Baseball)이 아틀란타 지역의 스몰 비지니스들로 부터 $100 밀리언 소송을 당했다고 합니다. 

3, 4월에 한참 조지아의 새로운 voting law가 메인 뉴스에 많이 나왔었죠. 바이든은 조지아의 새로운 voting law를 "sick", "un-American", 그리고 "Jim Crow in the 21st Century"라며 강한 비판을 했었습니다. 코카콜라와 같은 대형 컴퍼니들도 반대의 입장을 보였고 대부분의 메인 뉴스에서도 부정적으로 비판하는 내용들을 다루었습니다.

그리고 7월달에 아틀란타에서 All Star Game을 열기로 했던 MLB에서 조차도 조지아의  voting bill을 반대하며 게임을 콜로라도 덴버로 옮겼습니다. 그 결과로 지난 2년동안 All Star Game을 준비해 오던 조지아의 스몰 비지니스들이 많은 타격을 입게 되었지요. 예를 들어 8,000개 이상의 호텔 예약이 켄슬되었습니다. 

아틀란타 스몰 비지니스들의 입장:

- “MLB robbed the small businesses of Atlanta – many of them minority-owned – of $100 million, we want the game back where it belongs,” said Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network. “This was a knee-jerk, hypocritical and illegal reaction to misinformation about Georgia’s new voting law which includes Voter-ID. Major League Baseball itself requests ID at will-call ticket windows at Yankee Stadium in New York, Busch Stadium in St. Louis and at ballparks all across the country.”

- “Small businesses in this community had valid contracts relating to the All-Star Game and other events, the result of two years of planning and all that was ripped away by fear and misinformation spewed by political activists. Many states, including Colorado where the game has been moved to, have similar or more restrictive election laws,” Ortiz said. “This move essentially tells fans of teams in many other cities that they can never again host the All-Star Game it’s hypocritical, illegal and we won’t stand for it.”

MLB 입장:

- “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft. Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box," said Manfred.

- "Georgia's voting bills will disproportionately affect citizens of color."

이런 상황을 좀 더 이해해 보려고 조지아의 voting bill에 대해서 알아 보게 되었습니다. 그런데, 어떤 부분이 구체적으로 un-American이고 voter suppressing을 하는 것일까요? 미씨분들의 생각은 어떠세요? 특히 바이든 행정부와 많은 미디아에서는 “identification”과 “물/음식물 나눠주기”를 많이 비판했었습니다.

Georgia’s new voting law:

1. Early voting expands in most Georgia counties

- - There will be at least 17 days of early voting, starting on the Monday that is 22 days before Election Day until the Friday before an election. The bill requires counties to have at least two Saturdays of early voting, with the option of offering voting on Sundays as well. Previously, Georgia required only one Saturday of early voting.

2. ID is now required not just for in-person voting, but also for mail-in voting 

- - Previously in Georgia, a form of identification was required for voting in person but not for voting absentee by mail. The new law requires those requesting and returning ballots by mail to also submit a driver's license number or state ID number. If the voter does not have one, he or she can submit a photocopy of a different form of identification. The county registrar's offices or the Georgia Department of Driver Services can issue free state ID cards. When a voter returns an absentee ballot, he or she can also provide the last four digits of their Social Security number in place of an ID number.

3. Absentee voting: New rules regulate drop boxes and shorten time frame for requesting and returning mail ballots.

- - The new law mandates at least one drop box per county, but restricts where they may be placed and when they may be accessed. They must be located inside the clerk's office or inside a voting location and are only going to be accessible during early voting hours, and then closed when the early voting period ends.

- - The timeline for requesting and returning ballots has also shortened under the new law. Previously, voters could request a ballot 180 days out from an election. Now they can request them 78 days before an election. Ballot applications must be received by the clerk no later than 11 days prior to the election — earlier than the previous deadline. 

4.   Mass mailings of absentee ballot request forms are restricted.

- - Voting organizations and governments will be prohibited from sending repeated absentee ballot applications. Under the law, groups are only allowed to send absentee ballot applications to Georgians who haven’t already requested a ballot or voted. The restriction on mailings arose after voters complained that they received multiple letters asking them to request absentee ballots, even after they had already done so.

5. Food and drink distribution to voters in line by non-poll workers is banned, but "self-service" water stands are allowed.

- - The law makes it a misdemeanor for "any person" to give or offer "any money or gifts," including "food and drink," to any voter within a polling place, within 150 feet of the building housing a polling place, or "within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place." There is not a prohibition on voters in line buying food and drink for themselves the provision is about other people providing "money or gifts" including food and drink.

그 외에도,

- -Poll watchers gain more access to ballot counting.

- -A law enforcement hotline will gather voter complaints.

- -Runoffs will be held soon after general elections.

- -Ballots will be printed on special paper. Both in-person and absentee ballots must be printed on “security paper” that includes features that can be used to authenticate it.