Georgia State Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock) this week introduced Voter ID legislation that she said would prohibit people from using certain types of identification for in-person voting.
That bill, HB 228, would, if enacted into law, require Georgia residents who are not U.S. citizens to have “BEARER NOT A U.S. CITIZEN — NOT VOTER ID” printed on their licenses, permits and/or identification cards. People with this information on their forms of identification could not present them to a poll worker to vote, according to Byrd’s legislation.
“This is common-sense election reform legislation would support our poll workers as they work to keep polling sites secure from election fraud,” Byrd said in an emailed press release.
“It is imperative that we continue to keep the democratic process free and fair from any type of fraud, and this bill sets a clear precedent that we will not tolerate any attempt to cast a fraudulent ballot in the state of Georgia.”
Byrd’s legislation would also require state officials to update Department of Motor Vehicles records and information for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s RIDE program. RIDE works to enhance the integrity of the E-Verify program using the most commonly presented identity documents, according to Byrd’s press release.
As The Georgia Star News reported Friday, seven members of the Georgia General Assembly have filed a bill that would call on members of the State Election Board to appoint a chief elections assistance officer. According to the language of the bill, this person would work for the secretary of state to help manage and oversee elections.
As reported Thursday, Georgia State Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) has introduced seven separate bills that he said will reform Georgia’s election system. In a press release, Mullis said last November’s general election highlighted problems “that require urgent attention.”
As The Star News reported last week, Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming) said he wants legislators to discuss “serious, meaningful election reform” during the current legislative session. He suggested state officials require a photo ID if people vote absentee. Duncan, during a press conference at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, also pitched the idea of a statewide grand jury to monitor possible election fraud.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Charlice Byrd” by Charlice Byrd. Background Photo “Georgia Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
