Thursday, April 13, 2006

Georgia's Voter ID Law Under Fire

In 2005, the Republican-led Georgia legislators passed a law requiring that all voters present a government issued photo identification at the ballot box. Supporters argued it was needed to prevent fraud. A coalition of voter and civil rights groups (including Former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes) challenged the law in federal court.

A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled that the law amounted to an unconstitutional poll tax and issued an injunction blocking its enforcement. In January 2006, the Republican-led Legislature amended the law to provide free photo IDs to any Georgian who needed one.

plez sez: Everytime I vote, I show my drivers license, which qualifies as a government issued photo ID. The main concern with this law was the access to the availability of obtaining such an ID which the Legislature has taken steps to address.

If you go to a bank, you must have a photo ID to get your money; if you drive a car, you must have a photo ID to prove your identity; I don't really see the issue with having to provide a photo ID when you vote.

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