Secretary Handel Thanks House for Passing Legislation to Protect Abuse Victims throughout Voting Process

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today thanked the House of Representatives for passing legislation that would 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.

“In particular, let me thank Representative Dempsey for her leadership on this important issue,” Secretary Handel said. “Georgia citizens should not fear for their safety while trying to exercise their right to vote.”

House Bill 227 received overwhelming support, passing by a margin of 155 to three.

The bill allows 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.