State Primary Voters Must Have Photo IDs

Voters must present government-issued photo identification to cast a ballot in the state’s primary election, which is less than three weeks away, the State Election Board said in Atlanta.

The U.S. Justice Department cleared the voter identification law Wednesday, and the elections board decided to require IDs for the July 18 primary despite concerns about whether there was time to educate voters.

State elections officials can immediately begin issuing free photo identification cards to voters who need them, the board said. The state also plans to air public service announcements explaining the requirement on more than 100 radio stations.