Secretary Handel and Representative Dempsey Partner to Protect Abuse Victims throughout Voting Process
Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today announced that she and Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) are partnering on legislation to establish Project VoteSafe, a program to ensure that individuals under protective orders or residents of family violence centers are protected from having their addresses exposed during the voting process.
The bill, HB 227, sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), applies to citizens who have received a protective order issued by a court and to residents of family violence shelters. These individuals would be eligible to confidentially register to vote without their voter registration information becoming available as public information.
“Georgia citizens should not fear for their safety while trying to exercise their rights,” Secretary Handel said. “This legislation truly protects the right to vote by giving victims the opportunity to register and cast a ballot in a safe environment.”
“I am thrilled to work with Secretary Handel on this important issue,” Rep. Dempsey said. “As a longtime supporter of my community’s family violence shelter, this issue is close to my heart and I am proud to take the lead on it.”
The bill provides for the Secretary of State’s Office to implement the mechanism by which an individual’s information will be kept private.
Please click here for more information on HB 227 from the Georgia General Assembly website: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb227.htm.
Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
