High Court won’t hear voter ID appeal; 2nd suit active

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal to the oft-challenged Georgia law that requires voters to show photo ID before they vote.

The move on Monday means a January 2009 ruling by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the state’s voter ID law is final.

Critics have long tried to block the law, claiming it places an undue burden on poor, disabled people and minorities.

But Gov. Sonny Perdue called the decision a “victory for ensuring fair elections.”

Secretary of State Karen Handel says the voter ID law helps prevent voter fraud.

“Today’s denial of yet another challenge to our common-sense photo ID law represents a long-fought victory for Georgia voters and the security of our elections,” Handel said.

She noted that nearly 4 million residents cast ballots last year with the new law in place.

Laughlin McDonald, director of the ACLU voting rights project, said the court’s decision was no surprise: The Supreme Court doesn’t hear many cases in the first place and recently upheld a similar case from Indiana.

The next step for voter ID opponents would be legislative, McDonald said, but that would have to take place in Congress.

“I don’t think the state of Georgia … will change its mind,” he said.

A second lawsuit over voter ID is still in the state courts. The Georgia Democratic Party sued Handel before the 2008 election, but a Superior Court judge denied the party’s request for an injunction.