Feds investigate voter checks

The U.S. Department of Justice is questioning a high number of requests by Georgia officials to check the Social Security numbers of newly registered voters. Justice Department officials say the two million checks conducted in Georgia since Oct. 1, 2007 appear to represent a "substantial" change in state law. They say those checks need federal clearance under the Voting Rights Act to ensure they aren't discriminatory. DOJ Voting Section Chief Christopher Coates said that without preclearance any voting changes are "legally unenforceable."

(Associated Press)

NAACP gathers in Augusta

More than 500 delegates and volunteers from the Georgia NAACP are meeting in Augusta to talk about issues confronting African-Americans. The group's 66th annual state convention begins today. The convention will focus on increasing the number of African-American voters in this year's elections. It will also address how the struggling economy is affecting blacks, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

By Mary Ellen Cheatham

Television shows target Latino voters

The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials is teaming up with a local Spanish-language television station to educate Latino voters about the upcoming national election. On Saturday, Univision 34 will premier the first of three episodes of its community affairs show "Nuestra Georgia" to the election. All three shows will be nonpartisan and focus on educating the state's Latino electorate about the voting process and the positions of the two candidates. Experts estimate there are about100,000 Latino voters registered in Georgia, and another 100,000 eligible Latinos who are not registered.

Decision affirms state's photo ID law

Today the nation's highest court ruled in favor of requiring photo ID at the polls. The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling is welcome news for supporters of Georgia's voter photo ID law. Justices upheld Indiana's photo ID requirement, saying it does not violate voters' constitutional rights. Opponents argued the requirement deters poor, elderly and minority voters from casting ballots.