The Justice Department has approved Georgia's law that requires new voter registration applicants to show proof they are U.S. citizens, Secretary of State Brian Kemp said Monday.
The law is "a common-sense enhancement" that will prevent voter fraud, Kemp said. The law, enacted in 2009, allows first-time applicants to provide one of a number of documents to prove citizenship, including a Georgia driver's license, a Georgia identification card, a U.S. passport, a birth certificate and U.S. naturalization documents.
The federal Voting Rights Act requires Georgia and other states with a history of discrimination to get changes in voting procedures “precleared” by the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court in Washington.
The state filed a federal lawsuit in November to obtain approval of the law. After the Justice Department recently said it determined the law did not have a discriminatory effect or purpose and would consent to its approval, the state dismissed the suit, the Secretary of State's Office said.
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