It's now official: Georgia voters will go to the polls on February 5, 2008 to select Republican and Democratic presidential nominees.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the law Tuesday making February 5 Georgia's primary election date. He says the earlier election will force presidential hopefuls to campaign harder and more often in Georgia.
He also says this could be the start of a national primary.
"I, for one, frankly have never felt that Iowa, nor New Hampshire, should be the determinants of who becomes the two nominees," Perdue says. "I think as the population moves to the South and Southwest, you’ll see more of these efforts."
Lawmakers in about two dozen other states also recently chose February fifth as their primary election date.
Perdue also signed a law making absentee voter fraud a felony. Until now, election fraud laws have focused on tightening photo identification requirements for voters who go to the polls. Those laws were struck down by the courts. They were also criticized, in part because almost all of the voter fraud cases in Georgia history have involved absentee ballots. There were no safeguards against that type of fraud in the laws.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, who was at the bill signing, says this new law addresses that problem.
"Any type of fraud is something we're not going to stand for here in Georgia," Handel says. "What this legislation does is make sure that penalties for absentee ballot fraud are consistent with in-person voter fraud."
People found guilty of absentee voter fraud could spend up to 10 years in prison, and pay up to $100,000 in fines.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the law Tuesday making February 5 Georgia's primary election date. He says the earlier election will force presidential hopefuls to campaign harder and more often in Georgia.
He also says this could be the start of a national primary.
"I, for one, frankly have never felt that Iowa, nor New Hampshire, should be the determinants of who becomes the two nominees," Perdue says. "I think as the population moves to the South and Southwest, you’ll see more of these efforts."
Lawmakers in about two dozen other states also recently chose February fifth as their primary election date.
Perdue also signed a law making absentee voter fraud a felony. Until now, election fraud laws have focused on tightening photo identification requirements for voters who go to the polls. Those laws were struck down by the courts. They were also criticized, in part because almost all of the voter fraud cases in Georgia history have involved absentee ballots. There were no safeguards against that type of fraud in the laws.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, who was at the bill signing, says this new law addresses that problem.
"Any type of fraud is something we're not going to stand for here in Georgia," Handel says. "What this legislation does is make sure that penalties for absentee ballot fraud are consistent with in-person voter fraud."
People found guilty of absentee voter fraud could spend up to 10 years in prison, and pay up to $100,000 in fines.
