Georgia's New Poll Tax

NYT reported In 1966, the Supreme Court held that the poll tax was unconstitutional. Nearly 40 years later, Georgia is still charging people to vote, this time with a new voter ID law that requires many people without driver's licenses - a group that is disproportionately poor, black and elderly - to pay $20 or more for a state ID card. Georgia went ahead with this even though there is not a single place in the entire city of Atlanta where the cards are sold. .... at a cost of $20 for a five-year card or $35 for 10 years. The cards are sold in 58 locations, in a state with 159 counties. It is outrageous that Atlanta does not have a single location. (The state says it plans to open one soon.)

Interesting that you stated twice that there was not a location, when you knew the state plans to open one soon.

.... The Republicans who pushed the law through, and Gov. Sonny Perdue, also a Republican, who signed it, say that it is intended to prevent fraud

And that is very important.

..... Citizens who swear they are indigent are exempt from the fee

They wait until the 4th paragraph to admit that the cards are free to the indigent, and they never mention that these ID cars could be used for other purposes, like for example cashing a check.

.... A Georgian who votes only in presidential elections, and buys a five-year card to do so, would be paying $10 per election.

A citizen that only votes for President is certainly not availing himself of his rights as a citizen.

Steve M. blogged If Georgia's law remains in place, other states are likely to follow

Captain Ed blogged In an economic environment where consumers need a state-issued photo ID to cash a check, and where states require them to purchase alcohol and firearms, such an identification requirement for voting hardly appears onerous. The state has a compelling interest in ensuring that elections have safeguards to eliminate fraud and abuse. Georgia has allowed for those too poor to buy an ID to get one for free, which eliminates an insurmountable obstacle for voting. The people that the law keeps from the polls are those who aren't eligible to be there in the first place.