Minority voter ID education efforts increased

Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials
hosts multi-cultural press conference to promote unity
in voter education and registration efforts.

Rob Woods, Chair, Georgia Vote Connection Center

Concerned that minorities will stay away from the polls because of the new photo ID law, some groups say they'll step up education efforts around the state. Georgia law requires all voters going to the polls bring a photo ID.

The controversial law had been opposed by civil rights groups and was hung up in court for several years. Now those groups say they will do all they can to ensure minority and elderly voters get a free ID.

Rob Woods with the Georgia Vote Connection Center says information from state officials has not been sufficient.

"There will be people that show up at the polls who’ve been voting for years and years. We're talking Barnesville, Georgia, we're talking Bainbridge, Georgia, where everybody knows everyone. But, once they show up at the polls and they don't have ID, for some people it takes only an inkling of a deterrent for them to turn away from the polls. We're concerned that this could be by design."

Woods’ group along with the League of Women Voters and others are touring Georgia to register new voters and tell them about the photo ID law.

The Secretary of State's office sent out letters about the photo ID requirement, but only to some registered voters. However, all registered should get a letter before the February 2008 presidential primary.