Georgia: Georgia election changes suggested | The Augusta Chronicle

Georgia’s election law should be changed to allow more third-party candidates, voting machines with paper records and vetting of presidential hopefuls, according to 19 witnesses at Wednesday’s initial meeting of the Georgia Election Advisory Council.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp, whose office oversees elections, conceived the council and appointed it 15 members of legislators, academics and elections officials. When he first announced it, he said its goal would be to find ideas to save money and improve efficiency. The witnesses said they were looking for more substantive changes. “A lot of these things are going to depend on the will of the legislature,” Kemp said.

Georgia: GA: Top Georgia court upholds state’s voter ID law | Washington Post

Georgia’s top court has upheld a state law that requires voters to show photo identification before they cast ballots. The Georgia Supreme Court’s 6-1 decision Monday is the latest court ruling to conclude that the rules are constitutional. The decision found the 2006 law was a “minimal, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory restriction.”

Georgia attorneys said the measure is needed to prevent voter fraud, but the Democratic Party of Georgia countered that state legislators have no proof anyone tried to illegally cast a ballot. Critics have also long claimed the law creates an undue burden on the poor, the disabled and minorities. Read the Court Opinion (pdf)