Senate follows House approval

Georgia is getting a second crack at trying to stave off voter fraud now that Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed the latest voter ID bill.

The bill was approved earlier this week by the State Senate, following last week’s approval from the state House of Representatives.

The main difference between this year’s bill and last year’s version, which was struck down by a federal judge, is the creation of a special “voter ID” for persons who don’t already have a driver’s license or state-issued ID card.

The bill requires all county elections offices to create such photo IDs. That program is in response to the judge’s ruling that the previous voter ID legislation created a de facto “poll tax” since it costs money to get a driver’s license or ID card from the state.

Critics of the proposal say it is unfair to require voters to prove their identity with a photo identification, saying it will disenfranchise the poor and elderly. But the special “voter ID” card will be available free of charge, which should eliminate some of those concerns.

Sen. Ronnie Chance of Tyrone voted for the bill, as did Sen. Mitch Seabaugh of Sharpsburg.