Voter registration security bill signed into Georgia law

The precinct manager at Hamilton Mill Christian Church in Buford said the polling place had been getting a steady stream of about 40 voters per hour on March 19, 2019. The only item on the ballot was the MARTA referendum.  Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

The precinct manager at Hamilton Mill Christian Church in Buford said the polling place had been getting a steady stream of about 40 voters per hour on March 19, 2019. The only item on the ballot was the MARTA referendum. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Monday requiring election officials to strengthen security of voter registration records.

The legislation comes after some Georgians who had voted in previous elections were told last fall that they were no longer registered to vote. It's unknown why their registrations disappeared.

House Bill 392 calls for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to create security protocols for voter registration information that follow recommendations of national cybersecurity and election organizations.

The bill passed the Georgia General Assembly after the government accountability group Common Cause Georgia filed a lawsuit over voter registration problems.

“On Election Day, we fielded too many calls from voters who had cast ballots in previous elections but were suddenly told that they were no longer in the system,” said Sara Henderson, executive director for Common Cause Georgia. “We will closely monitor the state's compliance with this new statutory requirement.”