The Atlanta Braves are set to host the 2025 All-Star baseball game roughly four years after Georgia generated controversy over a voting law.
The announcement from the MLB on Thursday marks the third time Atlanta will host the iconic game, as well as its first time since 2000. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred commended the Braves for hosting the game, describing the team as "a model of success on and off the field."
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"Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta will provide fans a world-class experience in 2025," Manfred said. "We look forward to working with the Braves and local leaders to deliver a memorable All-Star Week that brings people together and benefits the community in many ways."
In 2021, Georgia received pushback from Democrats for introducing a new voting law, with President Joe Biden referring to it as "Jim Crow on steroids," even though the law differs from what other states have. State Republicans argued they passed the law to ensure voter integrity after the 2020 presidential election, which was conducted nationwide with new rules put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) weighed in on the MLB's decision on Thursday, stating that while Georgia's voting laws have not changed, he was glad "the MLB's misguided understanding of them has."
"We look forward to welcoming the All-Star Game to Georgia," Kemp wrote on social media. "Go Braves!"
Georgia’s voting laws haven’t changed, but it’s good to see the MLB’s misguided understanding of them has.
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) November 16, 2023
We look forward to welcoming the All-Star Game to Georgia.
Go Braves! https://t.co/MGtOeg99rI
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In October, a federal judge rejected the Biden administration's argument to block five parts of the state's 2021 voting law ahead of the 2024 election. The five provisions in the law the Biden administration was trying to enjoin dealt with disallowing food, drink, and gifts from being distributed to voters in line, ballot drop box laws, absentee ballots, provisional ballots, and driver's license or state identification card number requirements when applying for absentee ballots.
Judge J.P. Boulee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia rejected arguments by the plaintiffs that Senate Bill 202 was racially discriminatory and said some of the provisions they were seeking to enjoin were popular with Democrats.