A Georgia Republican is introducing a bill requiring voters to send copies of their photo IDs to election officials twice before they are allowed to vote as absentee.
The legislation would also implement a photo identification requirement for voters who send absentee ballots out of the state, requiring them to present proof of identification when requesting the ballot and returning it.
Acceptable forms of identity include a photocopy of the voter’s driver’s license, voter card, U.S. passport, government employee ID card, military ID card or tribal ID card.
The bill marks the first round of what is expected to be a robust effort by Georgia Republicans to limit absentee voting after President Biden wins the state President Trump
Donald TrumpFBI says California extremists may have targeted the Newsom House Democrat in a resolution to expel Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress Facebook to reduce political content on the MORE platform and Democrats won two seats in the Peach State Senate in two second rounds in January.
Although the Republican Party’s allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities have not withstood scrutiny, Republican officials still proclaim the need to contain the absent vote after its use was widespread in November and January during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among Democrats.
Republicans made the state of Peach the primary target of allegations of fraud, but the election results showing Biden defeating Trump by about 12,000 votes have been certified at least three times.
Georgia state law already requires a photo ID when registering to vote and vote in person.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
Brian KempGeorgia state legislator for the Republican Party presents a bill that requires two copies of the identity document to vote absent. Trump establishes ‘Former President’s Office’ in Florida, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, all Republicans, supported the implementation of stricter voter identification laws. All three were criticized by the Trump base for their refusal to block certification of election results.
Republicans have long argued that tough voter identification measures are needed to stem electoral fraud, although fraud cases are rare, but Democrats say such measures mainly inhibit color and low-income voters from voting.
“By demanding access to a printer, which many Georgians obviously do not have, Republicans are trying to purposely take away many Georgians’ ability to vote by mail simply because they believe that many Democrats and many people of color voted by mail.” Fair Fight spokesman Seth Bringman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which first reported on the introduction of the bill.