Voter ID Law Set to be Challenged in Georgia

Hold on to your hats, the bumpy ride is about to get started, in Georgia.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution the state of Georgia has filed a suit in federal court “seeking approval of a 2009 law that requires new voter registration applicants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.”

It’s fairly uncomplicated. Georgia falls under the jurisdiction of the pre-clearance statute of the Voting Rights Act, so any changes to the election code in that state must pass US Department of Justice muster.  Georgia passed a law in 2009 that requires new voters to prove their citizenship when they register to vote. According to the AJC the voter ID Law (Senate Bill 86) states that  “county voter registrars must reject any application that does not include a birth certificate, passport, naturalization document, driver’s license or other document that proves U.S. citizenship.” But the law can’t go into effect until it is pre-cleared.

Opponents of voter ID laws contend that citizens of color (blacks and Latinos) will be most harmed by this type of law, that it in fact disenfranchises a large portion of the minority electorate.

We’ll keep an eye on it for you, but expect similar laws and challenges to come, one state at a time.