A photo id requirement will certainly prevent some legitimate voters from casting their ballots. Yet, it will catch and deter virtually no illegal votes.
These Bills are a Solution in Search of a Problem—It is Unnecessary
There is no evidence that people are committing voter fraud by impersonating registered voters at the polls. The allegations of voter fraud discussed in the committee hearings took place at registration, and in the oft-cited example of Dodge County, which involved vote buying. Requiring a government-issued photo ID would not solve these problems.
Indeed, impersonating a registered voter is an extremely risky and difficult crime to attempt. To commit the crime, the person has to have information about the real voter, and resemble him or her in some respects, and know that the real voter has not already voted that day, by absentee, or by early voting. The person would also risk being convicted of both federal and state crimes.
Currently, if a poll worker doubts that a voter is who she claims, the poll worker can challenge the vote. Georgia has multiple ways to verify a person's identity without demanding a photo ID as well. With Georgia's statewide computerized voter registration list in place, poll officials at every precinct have access to information about each voter. If there is any doubt about the person, she can be questioned as to her date of birth, their middle or maiden name, and other data is available such as previous address, voting history ("if you voted in the primary this year, did you participate in the Republican or the Democratic primary"), and signature that can help resolve identity.
These Bills Would Disenfranchise Voters
This bill would disproportionately disenfranchise poor, elderly, disabled, and minority voters . Unless you are a government employee or student here in Georgia, your only photo ID is probably a driver's license. But if you're poor, elderly or African-American, you're much less likely to have one. For example, African Americans in Georgia are nearly 5 times more likely not to have access to a motor vehicle than are whites. Census Summary File 3 (SF 3), HCT 33B.
This bill would disenfranchise a person who lost his photo ID just before an election.
Free ID cards do not lift the burden from voters. There are only 50 DMVs in the 159 countiesin Georgia. The difficulty in accessing a DMV could prevent a person from getting the ID that is required to vote. In addition, once a person gets to the DMV, it may take hours to get the ID. Many people do not have the luxury of taking off time from work to get the ID and then taking off time from work to vote. In addition, some people, such as people who are mostly confined to care facilities have no need for a photo ID; this legislation would compel them to get one solely so that they can vote in person. getting the photo ID would require additional documentation, such as an original birth certificate or certified records.Finally, if you don't have them, you'll have to pay to get them
Allowing people to send in an absentee ballot instead of going to the polls does not stop disenfranchisement. First, many people want to exercise their right to vote by going to the polls. Second, this bill does not provide for any funds to educate voters that they will need an ID. There is a great likelihood that by the time people find out they are not
welcome to cast a vote at the polls, it will be too late to request and cast an absentee ballot. In fact, it is likely that people will not know of the requirement until they show up at the polls on voting day.
The provisional ballot provision still requires a valid government-issued photo ID. A person without a photo ID on the date of the election can vote a provisional ballot, but the vote will not be counted unless the person comes back to the polls with a valid photo ID within 48 hours.
These Bills likely violate Federal Laws
As the most restrictive identification law for voting in the country, the bill is unlikely to survive pre-clearance by the DOJ in accordance with the Voting Rights Act OR survive a lawsuit under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Please vote “NO” on SB 84 and HB 244. Any potential benefit in ending voter fraud is outweighed by the burdens placed on and disenfranchisement of legal, registered voters. Many people do not have valid, government-issued, photo IDs. Don’t keep those voters from exercising their rights.