Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday threw his support behind an election reform item that would require voters to provide photo identification when casting absentee ballots in future elections.
“It’s a simple way to make sure that type of voting is further secured, and it’s a good first place to start,” Kemp said at the start of the state’s legislative session, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s completely reasonable in this day and time, and in light of what’s going on, it would give all voters peace of mind and wouldn’t be restrictive.”
The news comes as Georgia is still reeling from a tense election season in which the state was aggressively scrutinized for potentially opening itself up to fraud. Record turnout fueled by mass mail-in voting helped Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and incoming Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof achieve victory in the state, which is traditionally a Republican stronghold.
Despite repeated attacks from President Donald Trump and his allies, state election officials, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, insisted that the election was free from widespread fraudulent activity. Though in the wake of the election, Raffesnperger also called again for doing away with signature matching as the main verification method for an absentee ballot and replacing it with a photo identification requirement. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --