Larry David Breaks Georgia’s Voting Law in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

Comedy’s crankiest star usually breaks social norms. This time, he ran afoul of voting legislation passed in Georgia in 2021.

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Larry David and Ellia English in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In the episode, Mr. David gives Ms. English’s character water while she is in line to vote.

Television comedies like “Veep” and “Parks and Recreation” have long poked fun at the absurdities of national and local politics, but it’s rare for them to zero in on the fine print of laws passed by state legislatures.

So it was surprising that the end of Sunday night’s season premiere of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — look out, spoilers coming — took pretty, pretty, pretty clear aim at the major voting law Georgia passed in 2021.

The episode highlights a provision of the legislation that effectively bars third-party groups or anyone else who is not an election worker from providing food and water to voters waiting in line within a 150-foot radius of a polling place.

Larry David, who as the show’s curmudgeonly star is better known for breaking social norms than actual laws, travels to Atlanta in the episode. Toward the end, he must go find the aunt of Leon, his friend and roommate, and return a pair of glasses that he had been forced to borrow from her.

He locates her in a line to vote, sweating in the sweltering Georgia heat, where she says she’s been waiting for more than two and a half hours. Larry, incredulous, remembers he has a few water bottles in his car and brings her some water.

Instantly, police lights flash.

“Sir, in the navy blazer, put your hands in the air,” an officer says to a confused Mr. David. “You’re under arrest for violation of the Election Integrity Act.” He adds, “It is illegal for anyone in the state of Georgia to provide food or water to voters in line in the polls.”

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