Handel begins phase three of photo ID outreach

ATLANTA - Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel has announced the beginning of Phase Three of her office's Photo ID outreach and education campaign in preparation for the statewide Presidential Preference Primary on February 5. The campaign is aimed at reminding voters they must present photo identification for in-person voting. Photo identification is not required to vote with an absentee ballot by mail. The Secretary of State's Office is sending reminder letters to 80,149 active and inactive registered voters across the state. The voters receiving this letter were identified through a database match of active and inactive registered voters and Georgia Department of Drivers Services (DDS) records. These voters may not have a Georgia driver's license or identification card issued through the Department of Driver Services, and either do not live in counties targeted during previous phases or registered to vote after the September and November county and municipal elections. "Georgians who may not have participated in the September and November 2007 local elections will be voting in the Presidential Preference Primary," Handel said. "It is important that they are aware of the photo identification requirement for voting in person." These registered voters who may not have a driver's license or identification card issued through the Department of Driver Services will also receive an informational brochure and postcard in the weeks leading up to the February 5 election. In addition, Handel's office will contact 254,465 registered voters who were contacted in previous outreach phases as a reminder to bring photo identification with them when voting in-person. The Secretary of State's Office is advertising extensively on radio and placing public service announcements on cable television reminding voters of the photo ID requirement. In addition, information is being distributed to public libraries and other public facilities across the state. Handel's office also partnered with utility companies to include educational inserts about photo ID in utility bills. The Secretary of State's Elections Division is offering training sessions to county elections officials and poll workers. Counties included in Phase Three include: Baker, Banks, Barrow, Bleckley, Bulloch, Butts, Calhoun, Candler, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Colquitt, Cook, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dooly, Effingham, Elbert, Evans, Forsyth, Franklin, Glascock, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Harris, Hart, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lanier, Laurens, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Murray, Peach, Pierce, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Seminole, Stewart, Telfair, Terrell, Toombs, Walker, Warren, Webster, Wheeler, White and Wilcox. Georgia law requires that voters present one of the following forms of photo identification when voting in-person: A Georgia driver's license, even if expired Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by a county registrar or Georgia Department of Driver Services Valid U.S. passport Valid employee photo identification from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state Valid U.S. military photo ID or valid tribal photo ID Voters who do not have one of the forms of identification listed above are eligible to receive a free Georgia Voter ID from their county elections office. If a voter goes to the polls without proper photo identification, he or she can vote by provisional ballot. Voters without one of the six forms of required photo ID can go to their county registrars' office or to any Department of Driver Services office and get a free Georgia Voter ID Card, present it to their county registrar's office within two days after the election and the provisional ballot will be counted. If voters simply forget their photo IDs and time permits, they can retrieve them, return to the polling place and vote. Voters who have questions are encouraged to call the Georgia Secretary of State's Voter ID Hotline at (877) 725-9797 or visit www.GaPhotoID.com.