Ask Candidates about Driver’s Licenses
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 2, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
With the election only four days away, please remind candidates that driver’s licenses must be redesigned to differentiate between U.S. citizens and non-citizens, since driver’s licenses are used for voter ID.
No matter how long foreigners have been living legally in this country, they cannot vote unless they have taken the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States. That’s when they swear allegiance to U.S. laws and the Constitution.
Individuals who enter the country legally may use their foreign driver’s license for doing business or touring the state, but if they become legal Georgia residents, they must get a Georgia license within 30 days. To qualify for a driver’s license, individuals must be U.S. “citizens” or “lawful” visitors who become “lawful” residents. Georgia law does not authorize driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, although some may have been issued.
However, Georgia law does allow driver’s licenses to be issued to foreigners who are in this country lawfully. The problem is: their license looks exactly like those issued to U.S. citizens, except for two words, “term-limited,” that are printed on non-citizen licenses. Both licenses are so similar that registrars could easily overlook the words “term-limited” and register non-citizens, who could vote, if poll workers don’t see those words, either.Over the years, legislators have introduced several bills requiring another configuration or additional words that would differentiate between the licenses of citizens and non-citizens. The latest was Representative Alan Powell’s H.B. 324 in 2017 requiring “non-citizen” to be printed on driver’s licenses, permits and special ID cards issued to lawful visitors and residents. When that term was opposed, he changed it to “ineligible voter,” but the bill died, anyway. If it had passed, non-citizens attempting to vote could have been easily identified.
On October 11, 2018, a voting rights advocate, intent on abolishing so-called “voter suppression,” published an article entitled, “Registration is a voter-suppression tool. Let’s finally end it.” In that article, she suggested registering individuals when they get a Social Security number.
If that plan were adopted, newborns who receive SS numbers at birth would be registered to vote, as well. At what age could newborns vote? Would someone vote for them? Could newborns’ numbers be used to get absentee ballots? Would there be more identity theft?
Please vote for candidates who will protect the integrity of voter registration. It’s been targeted for defeat. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your capitol correspondent.