Georgia voter ID law put on hold

[cal04]

A Fulton County judge has stopped enforcement of the state's photo voter ID law, ruling that it "unduly burdens the fundamental right to vote."

Former Gov. Roy Barnes had sought the court action, arguing Thursday before Judge Melvin K. Westmoreland that requiring voters to show government-issued photo ID violated the state Constitution.

Barnes said the Constitution sets forth basic requirements for the right to vote, but showing photo ID is not among them.

http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/0708voterid.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melvin Westmoreland wrote ``The Court finds the current statute unduly burdens the fundamental right to vote rather than regulate it and irreparable harm will result if the 2006 Photo ID Act is not enjoined. An injunction before trial must be reluctantly granted and only upon a clear showing that it is demanded by the Constitution.''

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=105170

[napi21]

1. Good for Roy! I hope he can also do something to get rid of Sonny!

I know one of the reasons Sonny won was by promising the "Confederate Nuts" he'd get their flag back, but he FAILED! I sure hope Cox wins in Nov!!!!!

[toopers]

9. You are incorrect . . .

He never said he would get the confederate flag back. He said he would put it to a popular vote.

[Totallybushed]

2. Willl this be apealed? n/t

[cal04]

3. Yes

Barnes told The Associated Press on Friday that he was pleased, and a little surprised.

"I think what we are heard today loud and clear is don't allow the vagaries of political partisanship to change the basic fundamental rights of our people," Barnes said.

"All this law did was create a bureaucracy and a burden to vote," Barnes said.

Gov. Sonny Perdue, who signed the measure into law earlier this year, said in a statement that he was disappointed and the state was moving rapidly to appeal. Perdue and other backers of the law argue that it's needed to prevent voter fraud.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=77448

[RebelOne]

4. This ID thing puzzles me.

I live in Cherokee County, GA and in order to vote in the Presidential election, I had to show ID, such as my driver's license as did everyone else who was in line to vote. Was this just in my county?

[3waygeek]

5. I've had to do it too

in every election since I moved to Duluth in 1993.

[wildeyed]

6. Here is a list of IDs for GA,

http://www.co.clayton.ga.us/brd_elections_registration/index.htm#properid

As you can see, DL leads the list, but there are many other valid forms of ID.

Was this the first time you voted at your precinct? In NC, they may ask you for ID the first time you vote in a precinct, but after that, they don't even ask for your ID. You just give your name and address, they mark you off the list and you vote. I am not sure exactly what the policy is in GA, but no state requires picture ID currently, although several repub controlled states are considering it.

[toopers]

10. You normally do not have to show a picture ID . . .

you can use utility bills that show your address, state photo IDs, just about anything that is 3rd party issued. This bill just standardizes the IDs that are needed -- most of which people would need to cash a check.

[Cookie wookie]

14. That is the old list of requirements,

pre 2006 Voter ID law.

The Secretary of State has just posted the old ones to her website as well. (http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/elections/voter_information/ )

The new Voter ID requirements, which I printed off from that same SOS web page, bottom of the page were:

Ga drivers license
Georgia Voter Identification Card (photo)
valid US passport
Valid employee identification card (had to be from some branch of government)
Military ID
Tribal ID card (which was being debated)

That's it with an exception for first time voters who registered by mail. I talked to the Director of the Elections Division, Kathy Rogers, on Tuesday to clarify it for myself. She said there is a conflict between HAVA reqs and the new GA voter ID law. To solve it, first time voters who registered by mail actually have a lower requirement for ID than all other voters. For this first time voting, they don't have to have a photo ID, but can present a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, or government paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail.pl?code=21-2-417

If they don't have the required photo ID, they can vote on a provisional ballot and have 2 days to come up with the required photo ID. According to the Secretary of State, 675,000 registered voters in Georgia do not have current drivers' licenses or other government photo IDs listed in the DDSs database.

The state contracted with a company to go to all the counties to provide the Georgia Voter ID Card free of charge for voters. But then they have to get to the county office and present other ID to get the card. The contract with the vendor is for 50,000 and the vendors (and Republicans on the State board of Elections) say they expect it to take 3 years for that number to be used. Not sure how that math works: 675,000 vs 50,000.

We were looking at a train wreck for the primaries and general election, so glad there is a reprieve. The problem (other than questions about Constitutionality) is that there hasn't been time for people to get those Georgia Voter ID cards made, or even to adequately communicate to the public and particularly to the demographic who doesn't have photo ID, what is needed and how to get the ID. Some people at a recent board of Elections meeting said they were unable to get the GA Voter ID card because they were told they needed a birth certificate. That supposedly is not supposed to be a requirement.

Hope this ruling stands through the general election in November.

The Board of Elections even fought with the Secretary of State and Elections Division about mailing a brochure with information on the new ID targeted to that 675,000 (and won since the Republicans dominate that board 3 to 2), so this week they contracted with Clear to do radio announcements. They didn't do any research to see if the demographic that needs to be reached listens to Clear Radio Channels....but my guess is NOT.

[MGKrebs]

11. It is unlikely you HAD to show your ID unless...

this was the first time you voted after registering. It was just not required by the law. They could ask for ID, but they could not demand it.

[outofbounds]

16. We had tow show ID in Glynn county as well nt

[onehandle]

7. Thanks, Roy.

I miss our 120+ year Democratic Majority.

[wildeyed]

8. Excellent news!

:)

[MGKrebs]

12. Channel 46 is reporting that Repubs will challenge the ruling somehow.

Not sure how that would work.
No link yet.

[Ravy]

13. Great news! (n.t)

[MGKrebs]

15. Republicans unhappy.

They have ignored any potentiial fraud with absentee ballots, they are only providing the free ID's because a lawsuit made them, they only set up ID stations in every county because a lawsuit made them, they haven't offered any standards or training for the poll workers to deal with the ID's, but it's the Dems who are trying to perpetrate a fraud!

House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) ripped Barnes for "shamefully attempting to promote blatant acts of identity fraud in Georgia's voting system."

Richardson added: "These actions clearly reveal the intent of Georgia Democrats to secure voting rights for dead people, felons and illegal immigrants."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/0708voterid.html

Umm, Glenn, sweetie, if the poll book is accurate, none of those people could vote anyway (except the felons if they have completed their sentence and re-registered.)