State sees decline in those lacking ID

Recent updates in registration records show fewer Georgia voters lack the identification needed to easily request absentee ballots than previously thought.

The number of voters who don’t have a driver’s license or state ID decreased from 272,000 to 154,000 after the Georgia secretary of state’s office recently added more ID numbers from the Department of Driver Services.

About 2% of registered voters lack an ID number.

An ID number is required for the easiest method of requesting an absentee ballot under Georgia’s new voting law, Senate Bill 202. Voters who don’t have a driver’s license or state ID number must provide a photocopy of another form of ID for absentee voting.

In all, about 7.5 million voters have an ID number linked to their registrations. Every Georgia voter is required to have some form of ID. For some, that means other types of identification, such as a U.S. passport, military ID or other documents.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of the state’s voter registration and ID lists found that the 154,411 Georgians without ID numbers on file are disproportionately Black voters. Black voters make up 58% of those who lack ID linked to their registrations while accounting for 30% of the state’s registered voters.

Many voters who don’t have ID numbers on file also have never cast a ballot. About 93,000 of the registered voters without an ID number have no record of ever voting in Georgia, according to state election data.

The new ID requirements are already being applied in upcoming local elections. About 11,200 voters have requested absentee ballots so far for municipal elections, including the race for Atlanta mayor.