U.S. District Court Judge Harold Murphy ruled on Wednesday that Georgia's photo voter ID law looked to violate the U.S. Constitution's First and Fourteenth Amendments. The state Supreme Court decision was unanimous, upholding a decision by a lower court in Fulton County. The plaintiffs, who included Common Cause Georgia, asserted that the law was a burden on those who did not have transportation to get a free voter ID card, namely the elderly, the poor, and minorities.
In remarks from the bench, Murphy said it was "sad" that after more than 200 years of trying to extend the right to vote to women and minorities that "now we pass legislation tightening up access to the ballot."
As a result of both court decisions, Georgia voters will be required to show any of 17 forms of identification that include some non-photo documents like a bank statement. Any voter who cannot produce an ID has the option of signing a sworn statement verifying identity.
Republican leaders, including Governor Sonny Perdue, were disappointed by the decision, with Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) saying, "Democrats [. . .] are celebrating victory in court at the expense of Georgia voters." The debate over mandatory photo IDs has unfortunately become partisan.
Nevertheless, the decision is a victory for voting rights. The Georgia primary is next week, and I hope Georgia voters take advantage of the opportunity to vote without unwarranted restrictions.
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