ATLANTA --- The U.S. Department of Justice has for the second time rejected Georgia's system of using Social Security numbers and driver's license data to check whether prospective voters are citizens.
The Justice Department first rejected Georgia's request for preclearance for the checks in May. The state asked the department in August to reconsider that rejection.
In a letter sent to Georgia Deputy Attorney General Dennis Dunn on Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perez said the state's August request contains so many changes to the original voter registration verification process that it constitutes "a new change affecting voting that the state desires to implement."
"I remain unable to conclude that the State of Georgia has carried its burden of showing that the original voter registration verification program has neither a discriminatory purpose nor a discriminatory effect," Mr. Perez wrote.
He also provided a list of additional information Georgia would need to provide for the Justice Department to consider the state's changes to the system.
Matt Carrothers, a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, said Friday that Georgia provided all of that information with its August request.
Under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, Georgia and other states with a history of discriminatory voting practices must preclear any changes to election rules with the Justice Department.
"For nearly a year, our office and the Office of the Attorney General have worked in good faith with the Department of Justice to address their questions and issues," Ms. Handel said in a statement Friday. "Throughout this entire process, DOJ did not raise a single question, comment or concern with our reconsideration submission until Tuesday.
The state's voter verification system checks new voters against databases held by the Georgia Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration, Ms. Handel's office said.
After a challenge was filed by voting rights groups last October, a federal three-judge panel did not order Georgia to immediately stop the checks but ordered the state to seek Justice Department preclearance under the Voting Rights Act.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I am sure that the feds don't want PROOF of citizenship for voters.They don't even want PROOF that hussein is a citizen.
Again the state is proven wrong in producing barriers to legal citizens, while exercising their right to vote. Remember, these states have an atrocious history of Voting Rights and following the federal statutes issued to protect minority citizens and their ability to cast a vote. With that history in mind, one can only speculate on the next legal trick that will be employed to reduce minority involvement in the political process. And THATS what the entire SSN thing is all about-keeping minorities away from the polls...and they think "we" don't know it. Ha!
What, this administration doesn't want voter registration that would check for citizenship? Who knew? How can you bring in special ACORN voters or allow "near" citizens to influence the outcome of elections if you check voter registration too closely?
Each and every legal citizen has a Social Security Number, and they also have some sort of Government issued ID. So what is the problem? When I voted I had to show an ID to prove I was who I was voting as. Justazz shows his ignorance again implying the minorities do not have SSN's. He also just posts his ignorant statements and when challenged, he never debates to back up his idiotic statements. This Administration does not want voter verification for it will reduce many of its supporters.
With idiots like wizzard,your birth certificate can come certified from heaven and they would not believe it.You all are wear that little " Acorn"out but then again nuts tend to be gathered in groups.
What does being a minority have to do with getting an SSAN? If you can show me a case where a minority child was born and the US and was refused a number, I'll happily eat some baked Jim Crow. Also, you don't need to be a citizizen to have a valid SSAN and pay in to, or collect from, the system.
WP, Obama won by 8 million. Acorn registered 1.5 million. They didn't register enough voter in the nation or any state to stop the drumming Mac and SP got. So I know you all like to make boogymen out of Acorn, etc. But the facts are the facts.
ispy4u, don't address wizzard and the other birthers.
There are many dead SSN holders, don't they have a right to vote too? Lets make sure we do not discriminate here. I wonder how many illegal immigrants voted last year.
cn, ACORN registered 1.5 million per state, a lot of them were registered in every state. Coincidentally, 100% of them voted Dem at least once. Of course no voter id. is wanted by any Dem.
ispy4u,concernednative;are you veterans?what branch?what rank?which war?
If you are a veteran wizzardx1 that is even worse. You of all people should have the highest admiration for the Commander in Chief. And, no I have never been in the military.
WP, do you really think ACORN registered 75 million people. That is 1.5 million per state. That is 12 million more votes than Obama even received. Come on WP I expect more than that from you. It was a total of 1.5 million for the nation 2007-2008.
It was 1.5 million according to ACORN-proven liars.
No military service?Keep your mouth shut about anyone that has served
wizzardx1, The states receive the voter registration cards from Acorn and publish the numbers. How do you think they know who to investigate for voter registration fraud. Wizzard, books and the internet are wonderful tools. They allow you to use facts rather than just hate. It is fine that you don't like ACORN but you shouldn't just make up stuff. Not that I would ever take a birther serious but it make people not take you seriously.
describe birther
you should not be using words that you do not know the definition.
Not able to, it is not even in the dictionary. Sorry, I used the conservative verison.
nativeboy - Military enlistees swear an oath to "Defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." I, and many others, consider Pres Obama to be a domestic enemy. I am prepared to defend our country against him. Are we clear now? I was cursed to have to serve 8 years under Bill Clinton. I carried out his orders/wishes, but I didn't like it. I had a worse taste in my mouth than Monica did when we bombed Iraq simply to get her story off the front page.
Birther: person who is extremely conservative, right wing, hate filled, Rush Limbaugh loving, semi-racist, nationalist, and ignorant.
Tosos, if you think Obama is a domestic enemy. I don't have anything else to say. The name is concernednative. I prefer not to be called boy.
concernednative;no military service-coward,using words that even you don't know the meaning-ignorant
Never understood why this is racial. I would think everyone would have enough intelligence to prove their citizenship. Guess I was wrong.
justthefacts;the dems don't want any PROOF of citizenship for voters or the president
Oh, yeah, add paranoid and hates facts.
concerned - I find the label "birther" offensive. According to www.urbandictionary.com "Birther, July 28, 2009 Urban Word of the Day: A conspiracy theorist who believes that Barack Obama is ineligible for the Presidency of the United States, based on any number of claims related to his place of birth, birth certificate, favorite birthday, or whether or not he has heard the song Africa by Toto." Have a nice day.
All military veterans understand that you respect the POSITION (ie what is on the collar), not the person. The military has its share of murderers, thieves, molestors, etc. so you respect the position because the person could be a sleaze. So, that said, many veterans and military members respect the POSITION of Commander in Chief, but do not necessarily have to respect Obama himself as a person. Thus far he (and his past) have not shown that he is worthy of "idol" status as many on the left admire him as.
wizzardx1, does that stand for a KKK wizard???
wizzard, you got it 99% of Americans are cowards. Since only less than 1% serve in the military. We are really a nation of deadbeats.