Voter registration rules in GA

Counties posted wrong information on voter registration

Cherokee, DeKalb and Gwinnett among 153 that needed fixes, group says

Some of the Web sites listed requirements for conducting voter registration drives that were banned in a 2006 federal court consent order.

For example, some of the Web sites said only deputy registrars can take a completed voter registration application, which is not true. They also stated incorrectly that volunteers must be trained and the county and U.S. Department of Justice must approve the date, location, volunteers and the sponsoring group. Some Web sites warned it was illegal to conduct door-to-door registration drives.

Georgia law allows anyone to hand out and collect voter registration applications. No county or state approval is required. Door-to-door registration is allowed.

“It creates confusion. It’s intimidation [by] saying it’s illegal and a felony,” said Advancement Project attorney Brad Heard, who wrote the letters to the state and the counties.

“I think the language [on various Web sites] is confusing and I think the motivation probably varies from county to county,” Heard said. “Some counties, I think, intentionally try to blur the line because they don’t like the fact that private groups can go unregulated and they have no control over them. … Other counties may not understand [the law].”

Via Jeffrey.