Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is calling on Congress to require REAL ID for voting in federal elections, arguing the move would strengthen election security and restore public confidence in the process.
In a guest column published Monday in The Wall Street Journal, Raffensperger said election access and election integrity go hand in hand.
"One of my most important responsibilities as Georgia's secretary of state is ensuring that every eligible citizen can vote and that every lawful vote is accurately counted," Raffensperger wrote. "Those responsibilities are inseparable. When voters trust the process, participation rises. When confidence declines, democracy suffers."
Raffensperger argued that Americans already need a REAL ID to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings and military bases, saying voting in federal elections should require the same level of verification.
REAL ID is a federally compliant form of identification created under the REAL ID Act of 2005, which set national security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards.
"Verification of one's citizenship status is a core requirement in obtaining a REAL ID," he wrote. "Requiring REAL ID at the ballot box, after updating the National Voter Registration Act, would strengthen election security and help ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in U.S. elections."
He pointed to Georgia as a model, saying the state has balanced access and security by pairing voter protections with transparency and accountability. Raffensperger cited high adoption rates of REAL ID, noting that 99% of Georgians possess one.
"REAL ID is the gold standard, and it is reasonable to require it to verify eligibility at the ballot box," he wrote.
But Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is challenging Raffensperger in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, told Newsmax on Monday that the secretary's about-face on REAL ID is a distraction from his deeper failures in enforcing state election law.
"He's just trying to distract from what he's not doing as far as holding Fulton County accountable," Jones said. "You know, we do require that people have a photo ID or their driver's license.
"But those are things that we had to enact as Legislature, because [Raffensperger] has just absolutely been one of the worst ones I've seen since being in office in the state of Georgia," he said.
Raffensperger, however, praised his own record, saying he helped "strengthen the integrity of Georgia's elections."
"Restoring faith in U.S. elections doesn't stop at the state line. By requiring REAL ID for voting in federal elections, Congress can finally do its part to make our elections safe, secure, and worthy of public trust," he wrote.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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