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Charlice Byrd
BY CHARLICE BYRD
As a Georgia legislator, I know there is one topic that continues to be on the minds of voters: election integrity. Despite adopting election changes earlier this year, there is an uneasiness about whether we can have a secure election in 2022 and beyond.
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Some Georgians may be shocked to learn that driver’s licenses and official IDs are issued to foreign nationals, which are nearly identical to what citizens obtain and use when they exercise their right to vote. The only difference is noncitizens’ cards are stamped with the words “limited term” at the top.
Illegal immigrants and lawfully present immigrants have been registered to vote in the past, and, after the 2020 election, it’s surprising that we don’t have a law prohibiting the use of noncitizen licenses or ID cards as proper identification for voting purposes. It is unknown how many poll workers are accepting noncitizen forms of identification.
With a list of co-sponsors in the Georgia House, I introduced House Bill 228 earlier this year; it was designed to add language to existing law regulating acceptable identification for voting. This legislation would forbid the acceptance of such licenses and ID cards issued to noncitizens for voting purposes. It would require the state Department of Drivers Services (DDS) to add language saying, “Bearer not U.S. citizen — Not voter ID” to all licenses and ID cards issued to noncitizens.
Additionally, to address mail-in voting issues, the DDS would be required to change the numbering system of noncitizen licenses and IDs, so the first two characters would begin with NC, to indicate noncitizen. This would add security to Georgia’s voting process, while alleviating potential confusion for poll workers and election volunteers.
It’s better to have loopholes closed and security in place before an election, instead of trying to mend an issue once it occurs. Without election integrity, citizens in our state and nation will have no confidence in our government, and our nation will crumble. It is time to do all we can to ensure that only those who are legally able to vote cast their ballots. The future of our nation depends upon it.
Rep. Charlice Byrd represents District 20 in the Georgia House of Representatives.charlice.byrd@house.ga.gov
