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Group May Face Challenges Fighting Voter ID Laws

August 23rd, 2013

A nationwide campaign to reverse voter identification laws in several states began in Atlanta last week. But is the grassroots group that launched the effort fighting an uphill battle?

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The group, called American Values First, wants to overturn existing voter ID laws and prevent others from being passed. They haven’t laid out a clear strategy yet. But group member and Georgia Democratic House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams says they have a starting point.

“The goal is going to be first to unify those 50 states to make sure that we’re all pushing together to expand voting rights,” Abrams says. “But, we’re also going to, secondly, lift up those legislators that are doing the right thing. And we’re also going to hold accountable those legislators that are doing the wrong thing.”

But it could be a tough fight. Georgia’s voter ID law, for example, was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2011. WABE legal analyst Page Pate says that will make it very difficult to overturn legally. And, he says, the General Assembly isn’t likely to do it.

“We have a very conservative legislature,” Pate explains. “I think they took into account some opposing views when they passed it the first time. I just don’t see them being able to get any traction at changing that law here in Georgia.”

Georgia accepts several different forms of ID. But some states, such as Texas and North Carolina, have passed laws that don’t allow certain types, such as student IDs. Pate says the group could have some luck in states with stricter laws.

And that’s the belief of Georgia Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who’s been a staunch opponent of the laws. He says he believes in the group’s chances of success.

“I think you’re going to see the Department of Justice under Attorney General Holder and the president becoming very, very aggressive and going into federal court and the district court in Washington, D.C. to try to overturn some of these places,” Lewis says.

Pate says it will be hard for the group to make significant progress by the 2014 election season.