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State Bus Will Roll For Voter IDs
By Nancy Badertscher, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
August 9, 2005
Under attack for Georgia's new voter ID law, state officials are putting a bus on the road to issue photo identification cards to low-income people.
The bus will roll Sept. 1, with the goal of helping Georgians meet the requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls - and defusing criticism that the law will disenfranchise the poor, elderly and minorities.
Georgians who haven't previously had a valid driver's license or state identification card can obtain a free ID card if they sign a form saying they can't afford the $20 fee.
But critics doubt that a single bus can serve thousands of Georgians who don't have a driver's license or photo ID, especially those who live in rural areas far from a Department of Driver Services site.
"It's a public relations gimmick," declared state Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta), president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.
It may be a bumpy road getting the bus out into the state. Heather Hedrick, spokeswoman for Gov. Sonny Perdue, said the bus, a hand-me-down from another department, will make its debut close to DDS headquarters in Atlanta because it might need further repairs.
"We've got to start with the resources we've got and can't spend money we don't have," Hedrick said. She did not know how much the bus would cost.
The ID requirement was approved amid much controversy by the Republican-led Legislature earlier this year.
Proponents said that Georgia allowed too many forms of ID - 17 documents ranging from a driver's license to a utility bill - and the requirement would combat fraud at the polls. Critics have said it's the most restrictive law of its type in the nation and would hinder groups they say tend to favor Democrats.
AARP Georgia, which opposed the photo ID law, says its research shows that more than 150,000 Georgians age 65 or over did not have a driver's license when they voted in the 2004 elections. AARP also estimates that one out of every three Georgians over age 75 doesn't have a driver's license.
Last weekend, Jesse Jackson blasted Georgia's voter ID law during his "Keep the Vote Alive" march in Atlanta, and former President Bill Clinton has criticized the plan as "just wrong."
While Perdue signed the legislation into law, it has not yet gone into effect. The U.S. Justice Department must sign off on any new election laws approved by Georgia and other states with a history of discrimination.
It's not clear when the department might decide whether the photo ID law passes muster. Brooks has filed a written objection with Justice officials.
Susan Sports, spokeswoman for DDS, said details of the bus' schedule and destinations are being finalized. Stops could include local libraries and fire stations in underserved areas, she said.
Sports said residents who want a state ID will be required to present the same documentation needed the first time they get a driver's license, such as proof of residency and a certified birth certificate or valid passport.
State Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), who represents parts of rural South Georgia, said a bus isn't the answer to the problem. "The way you help people is you get rid of that photo ID requirement," he said. "They said it was about getting rid of fraud, but it's really about trying to keep people from voting."
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