Georgia Election 2018: 53,000 voter registrations put on hold

"More than 53,000 voter registration applications are on hold in Georgia because of a state law requiring verification of voters’ information.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that voter registrations were flagged because of Georgia’s “exact match” law, which requires voter registration information to match a driver’s license, state ID card or Social Security records. The AP obtained the list of pending voters through Georgia’s Open Records Act.



Voter registration applications can be put on hold because of a missing hyphen in a last name or data entry errors. Mismatched voter registrations remain pending unless applicants correct discrepancies within 26 months.



Voters whose registrations are placed on hold can still participate in elections if they verify their information.



The “exact match” law has drawn criticism from voting rights groups that say it could suppress voters in the upcoming election for Georgia governor between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams. Kemp is Georgia’s secretary of state, responsible for oversight of elections and voter registration.



One voter, Marsha Appling-Nunez, said she found out she was no longer registered when she tried to check the state’s election website. The AP found her name among the voters placed on pending status."



Georgia Election 2018: 53,000 voter registrations put on hold