State may sue Justice Department

State officials are contemplating their next move in election law, after the U.S Supreme court ruling this week left section 5 of the voting rights act in place. That’s the section requiring Georgia and 15 other states to get pre-clearance for any voting law changes.

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel had hoped the high court would strike down section 5 of the voting rights act.

That would have meant the state could enact a new law requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Now Handel has to send what’s know as SB86 for approval to the Justice Department.

That same Justice Department told Georgia in May that a procedure the state used last fall to scan registered voters for citizenship requirements did not pass muster.

Handel is now considering whether to sue the Justice Department says Deputy secretary of state Rob Simms.

“We’re juggling a few balls right now.” Simms says, “and one thing is abundantly clear. It’s Secretary of Handel’s opinion that these verification programs are necessary and vital.”

Simms says Handel has been meeting with the Attorney Generals office and will make a decision soon on whether to file a lawsuit.

Reactions to Voting Rights Act Ruling

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue says he's disappointed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that keeps alive the Voting Rights Act. Perdue, a Republican, filed a brief to join a Texas case that challenged a section of the statute as an outdated provision that was crucial to protect voting rights during the civil rights era but is now unnecessary. The section requires all or parts of 16 states to get Justice Department approval before making changes in the way elections are conducted. It was designed in the 1960s to prevent racial discrimination at polling places. Perdue says he looks forward to the day when the provision is declared unconstitutional or "applied to all 50 states rather than singling out a few."

(Associated Press)

Perdue Signs Voter Citizenship Bill

Georgians could soon be required to prove they are U.S. citizens to register to vote under a bill signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The new law Perdue signed on Tuesday makes Georgia just the second state in the nation - behind Arizona - to require prospective voters to provide proof of citizenship. The bill must still receive preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act. The new requirement would kick in beginning in 2010 for newly registering voters. Critics called the measure a poll tax. Supporters said it's needed to prevent fraud.

(Associated Press)

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)