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Secretary of State Kemp Announces Implementation of MOVE Act Requirements to Increase Voting Opportunities for Georgia’s Military and Overseas Voters

For Immediate Release
September 1, 2010

FFI Contact: Matt Carrothers
Director of Media Relations
404-656-4269

Secretary of State Kemp Announces Implementation of MOVE Act Requirements to Increase Voting Opportunities for Georgia’s Military and Overseas Voters

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that the State of Georgia is prepared to meet all requirements of the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, or MOVE Act, to increase voting opportunities for our approximately 200,000 military and overseas citizens.

For the first time in this year’s November General Election, Georgia’s military and overseas voters will be able to access an absentee ballot in electronic format 45 days prior to Election Day. To access their ballot, these voters will log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. This will save weeks of time previously lost to delivery of blank ballots by mail. Additionally, military and overseas voters may receive access to absentee ballots for an entire year’s election cycle, removing the need to submit multiple ballot requests.

In June, Governor Perdue signed into law House Bill 1073, which strengthened Georgia’s compliance with the MOVE Act.

Secretary Kemp stated, “One ballot cast by a member of our military that is not counted due to slow mail service or a missed deadline is one too many. This e-government solution increases Georgia’s commitment to our men and women in uniform, who fight to protect our Constitution and our freedoms, by providing them additional opportunities to vote and fully participate in our elections.”

The system which will deliver these blank ballots was developed in-house within the Secretary of State’s Office at no additional cost to Georgia’s taxpayers. “We were able to leverage our existing technology and resources to better serve Georgia’s overseas and military voters without having to incur any additional costs or expense,” said Secretary Kemp.

In conjunction with launching the MOVE Act compliant electronic ballot delivery system, Secretary Kemp announced an updated Elections Division webpage. The new site will make it easier to find and locate critical information for all voters and anyone interested in Georgia elections.

Secretary Kemp said, “As Georgia’s Chief Elections official, it is my responsibility to provide as much information as possible to voters, and to make that information easier to find. We want Georgia’s voters to be able to know as much as they possibly can about Georgia’s elections before they go to the ballot box.”

Brian Kemp was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.

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Posted by Tim Fleming in News Releases on 9/1/2010

Secretary of State Kemp Announces Victory in Long Fight to Secure Georgia’s Voter Rolls

FFI Contact: Matt Carrothers
Director of Media Relations
404-656-4269

For Immediate Release:

Secretary of State Kemp Announces Victory in Long Fight to Secure Georgia’s Voter Rolls

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced that following the State’s June 22, 2010 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the DOJ consented to preclearance of the State’s voter verification process, including verification of U.S. citizenship. After the DOJ consented to the process, the State filed for and received administrative preclearance from the DOJ. The State and the DOJ therefore have now filed a joint request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

“After nearly two years, we can now verify that voter registration applicants are who they say they are and that they are U.S. citizens,” said Secretary Kemp. “When we filed the lawsuit, I was criticized by some because they believed it would be too time-consuming and expensive. However, after waiting for nearly a year and a half for a final administrative decision from the DOJ, I was certain that litigation was the only way to put Georgia in a position to obtain final approval from the federal government of our voter verification procedures. After the litigation was filed, it took less than two months for the DOJ to consent to preclearance of the verification process.”

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Georgia must obtain federal preclearance of any change affecting voting by bringing a declaratory judgment action in federal court or, in the alternative, by submitting the change to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. In October 2008, the Secretary of State’s Office first submitted the verification process to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. After extended administrative review and numerous discussions with representatives of the State, the DOJ denied administrative preclearance of the State’s voter verification process and later refused to withdraw that denial. During the administrative process, the State provided substantial amounts of information about its verification process, sometimes providing the same information several times.

In June of this year, Secretary Kemp announced that the State of Georgia filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the DOJ to obtain preclearance of the voter verification process. After the lawsuit was filed, the DOJ determined that the verification process did not have a discriminatory effect or purpose and expeditiously consented to the federal approval of the verification procedure. Georgia was previously the only state in the country barred from complying with the federal Help America Vote Act’s voter verification requirement.

Secretary Kemp added, “I am glad the DOJ ultimately recognized the importance of ensuring a secure elections process in Georgia and consented to the Section 5 approval of Georgia’s voter verification process. As Georgia’s Chief Elections Officer, my job is to ensure secure, fair, and accessible elections for every Georgia citizen who is eligible to vote. Every ballot cast by a non-citizen erases a ballot cast by an eligible Georgia voter.”

Under the Help America Vote Act, states are required to verify the information provided by first time voter registration applicants with information currently on file in state or federal databases. In Georgia, the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, driver’s license or identification number, last four digits of his or her Social Security number, and United States citizenship status are verified with the Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration databases to ensure that the information matches.

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Official news release here:
http://www.sos.ga.gov/pressrel/2010_releases/August/20100823Secretary%20of%20State%20Kemp%20Announces%20Victory%20in%20Long%20Fight%20to%20Secure%20Georgia%E2%80%99s%20Voter%20Rolls.htm

Posted by Tim Fleming in News Releases on 8/23/2010