Right to Vote Again Protected by Georgia Courts

by Jon Greenbaum

July 12, 2006: The Lawyers' Committee applauds Judge Harold Murphy of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for once again protecting the fundamental rights of all eligible Georgians to participate in the electoral process. Yesterday, Judge Murphy ruled that Georgia cannot implement its recently enacted, discriminatory voter photo identification provision because it violates the constitutional guarantees to equal protection at the polls. The Lawyers' Committee, together with the ACLU and other allies, brought the case on behalf of eligible Georgia voters who will be disenfranchised by this provision. Earlier in the day, the Georgia Supreme Court denied the state's request to overrule a state court decision blocking the bill. All told, this provision has been examined by five courts, state and federal, trial and appellate, and the results have been unanimous: requiring government issued photo ID at the polls is an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote. I discussed the case on NPR.

NPR, States Move To Enact Voter Identification Laws

Washington Post, Ga. Judge Blocks Voter ID Law Enforcement