Ga. suing feds over voter verification process

ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced the state is suing the federal government over “preclearance” of its voter verification process.

“The Justice Department’s unjustified denials of preclearance have resulted in Georgia being the only state in the country barred from complying with the federal Help America Vote Act’s voter verification requirement,” Kemp said in a statement. “The State has filed this lawsuit for one reason: so we can comply with the Help America Vote Act by verifying that applicants are who they say they are and that they are U.S. citizens.”

Under federal law, states must verify the information provided by first time voter registration applicants with information currently on file in state or federal databases, according to Kemp. In Georgia, the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, driver’s license or ID number or the last four digits of his or her Social Security Number and United States citizenship status are verified with the Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration databases to ensure that the information matches.

“Fair and free elections form the foundation of our state and country,” Kemp said. “I am proud that we are taking this step to protect the integrity, security and fairness of Georgia’s elections.”