The court further noted that “there is an absence of settled law on this specific issue” in Georgia but that the intent of the state legislature was “obvious” in omitting any specific reference to a runoff election in the law.
The ruling is a victory for Democrats and voting rights advocates, who had argued that the laws in question were vague and did not apply to a runoff election.
Officials in the secretary of state’s office had initially ruled that Saturday voting could take place in this year’s runoff election before backtracking after discovering a provision of the election code that barred voting in the days after a holiday. The Saturday at issue in the case would be two days after Thanksgiving and one day after a state holiday that until 2015 honored Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Democrats brought the lawsuit shortly after the state issued guidance to counties advising against Saturday voting.
“I am delighted by the judge’s ruling. Obviously, I think it was the right call,” Warnock said at a rally on the campus of the Georgia Tech on Friday evening. “We should want every eligible voter to have an opportunity to vote, and not having Saturday voting disproportionately impacts working-class people in an adverse way.”
“I want to encourage everybody to vote early and make sure your voice is heard,” he added.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said the ruling should not be the end of the road on this issue.
“We disagree with the court’s order and look forward to a prompt appeal,” Raffensperger said in a statement.
The decision on whether to appeal the case will be made by Republican Chris Carr, the state’s attorney general. The appeals court could issue a stay order to prevent counties from allowing voting on Nov. 26.
Walker’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling doesn’t necessarily mean that Saturday voting will take place; counties across Georgia must decide whether they will hold early-voting hours on Nov. 26, requiring more time and resources from poll workers and election staffers. More litigation is also possible if the case is appealed.
“The judge very clearly explained that the text, structure, and history of the election code did not square with the state’s tortured, literal interpretation of the law to block Saturday voting,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, a professor of constitutional law and legal history at Georgia State University. “It doesn’t make sense to apply the same standards for a short runoff election as we would a general election with multiple weeks of early voting.”
Chatham, Cobb, Dekalb and Fulton counties already passed trigger policies that would instruct election workers to conduct Saturday voting if the court ruled it legal.
Sabrina Rodriguez contributed to this report.