MACON, Ga. — This year, more than 1.3 million Georgians voted by absentee ballots in the November election.
Now, some Georgia republicans are calling for changes to state election laws, like getting rid of absentee ballot drop boxes, requiring people to mail copies of their photo IDs for absentee ballots, and getting rid of 'at-will' absentee voting.
That means you wouldn't be able to use an absentee ballot just because you want to.
Georgia did see a record high number of absentee ballot requests in 2020 with many people opting to vote from home as COVID-19 cases continued to rise.
Democratic State Senator David Lucas says he strongly opposes the idea of getting rid of 'at-will' absentee voting and requiring people to mail copies of their photo IDs to request an absentee ballot.
"It's nothing but voter suppression all over," he said. "They have come up with all kinds of things because people are voting. They are worried about these two Senate seats because Georgians are voting."
Lucas says he will do everything he can to stop these changes from being implemented.
"There's gonna be a fight. There's gonna be a fight in the Georgia Legislature if they're trying to put these reforms in and we're not going to sit back and tolerate it," he vowed.
Republicans like State Representative Dale Washburn say it's a good idea.
"I want to move away from this idea that it is just an alternative way to vote. Voting, for me, is a great privilege and a great responsibility and I don't think it is unreasonable to ask able bodied people to drive to the polls," he said.
He told 13WMAZ that absentee ballots should be reserved for students, military members, and people with disabilities.
"There is no question that there is too much opportunity for fraud with mail-in ballots," said Washburn.
Georgia state election officials as well as U.S. Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly dismissed reports of widespread fraud in the November election.