How Georgia's controversial new voting law compares with other states

By Emily Hawley, Op-ed contributor Sunday, April 18, 2021

Voter ID requirement

Before the legislation, Georgia already had what was considered by some to be a “strict photo ID law,” akin to states like Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee and Mississippi.

But at least 36 states also had laws to request or require voters to show identification at the polls, as of August 2020, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The other 14 states that do not require voter ID often use different methods to verify voters’ identities, such as signature verification, signing an affidavit or poll book or confirming personal information.

According to NCSL, Georgia is one of six states with a “strict” photo ID requirement, along with Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Indiana.

A handful of other states require at least a form of non-photo identification. Several other states request photo IDs. If IDs can’t be provided, voters are either asked to cast a provisional ballot or sign an affidavit attesting to their identity. About 17 states do not require voters to show a document or identification to vote.