On CNN Saturday, former Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) sharply criticized the provision of Georgia's new controversial election bill that makes it a misdemeanor to hand out water to voters standing in line — a measure Republicans claim is to prevent partisan groups illegally electioneering at polling places, but which is widely considered a ploy to discourage turnout in heavily Black cities, where polling places are more consolidated and wait times are longer.
"Are the Republicans saying, our strategy is don't bring more people into the party, just prevent people from being able to vote, especially people of color?" asked anchor Ana Cabrera.
"I certainly hope not," said Love, the only Black Republican woman ever elected to Congress. "I don't like the fact you can't give people water. I remember in Utah, we have all vote by mail also, and one of the people that couldn't vote by mail and the people who like going to the polls, went to the polls, and sometimes they were there for four, five hours. And to keep them there, they had no to be able to eat, they need to be able to have something, I mean, just for regular sustenance."
"How does giving people water and food, and making that a crime, make elections more safe?" asked Cabrera.
"I don't know," said Love. "You want to do whatever you can to make it easier for people to vote, give them more options and time. Any bill that is targeted towards that is a good bill. I see there's some of these issues here that really need to be fixed. I don't see what the water issue had to do with helping more people vote. It doesn't make sense ... it just seems stupid. I don't have any other words for it. I mean, you can make a point for so many other things. That one, you just can't make any excuse for it."
Watch below:
Mia Love calls Georgia's ban on giving voters water "stupid"youtu.be
