Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
GA voter ID law upheld
Massachusetts driver’s license photos from Massachusetts DMV (via The Heritage Foundation)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this week that a judge who previously overturned a voter ID requirement has now upheld a revised version of the same law.
[U.S. District Court Judge Harold] Murphy noted that his previous injunction hinged in large part on the fact that many voters who lacked a photo ID had no real notice of the requirement or knew how to get one or vote absentee. But the judge said recent evidence showed the state “made exceptional efforts” to contact voters in the 23 counties planning to hold local elections this month.
Amongst those who filed suit to block the law included Common Cause/Georgia and the League of Women Voters of Georgia. Back in February, the New York Times reported that a study commissioned by the federal government highlighted a link between voter ID laws and lower turnout. At the time, the paper noted where ID requirements were in place.
Only two states, Indiana and Florida, now require all voters to show photo ID, and voters without it are allowed to cast only provisional ballots. Indiana officials have said voter turnout increased by 2 percent last November, compared with the 2002 midterm election, despite the enactment of a photo ID law in 2005.
Three states — Hawaii, Louisiana and South Dakota — require voters without photo ID to sign affidavits to cast regular ballots.
We’ll stay on top of this.
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