Unfortunately, the national media is running an article which falsely suggests that Secretary of State Brian Kemp is blocking 53,000 voters from participating in this election cycle. “Pending” status in the Secretary of State’s office does not mean the applicant cannot vote. “Pending” status means more information needs to be verified at the time a voter casts their vote. The “pending” applicant can also resolve most issues online or can call their local Board of Elections for off-line assistance.

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It is absolutely irresponsible that the press would lead Georgians to the FALSE idea that anyone who has submitted a voter registration application may not be able to vote on Election Day.

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What happens to a “Pending” Applicant on Election Day?

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When a voter travels to the polls to cast their ballot, the poll agent will look up the applicant in the system. If the agent discovers that the voter is “pending,” they will simply ask to verify their name with a form of identification (a driver’s license is the most common.) If the voter can supply the ID, the polling agent will change their voter status from “pending” to “complete,” and will give a regular ballot to the voter to use to cast their vote.

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If the voter cannot supply their ID, they will remain “pending” but will be able to cast a provisional ballot. The voter will be notified that they have three days in which to complete their registration for their provisional ballot to count.

What if the “Pending” Applicant needs to cast an Absentee Ballot?

When a voter accesses https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do to request their absentee ballot, they will see their voting status. If they are listed as “pending,” the webpage will clarify why their application has not been approved and provide suggestions for how the voter can resolve the issue. Any voter, regardless of whether they vote in person or via absentee ballot should check this website before casting their vote. Again, if a voter does not have access to the internet, the local Board of Elections in their county is qualified to assist in resolving application issues.

Who is REALLY responsible for this?

Stacey Abrams voted against Online Voter Registration in 2014 and founded the New Georgia Project (NGP) to register voters. It is an organization that refuses to use Online Voter Registration and instead relies on canvassers to help citizens fill out paper applications. While registering voters is a valiant effort, most of the 53,000 registrations that are “pending” are flagged because the NGP canvassers – who submitted the applications – failed to ensure the applications were filled out completely and accurately. Seventeen of these canvassers are even under investigation by Attorney General Chris Carr.

When you register to vote online rather than using paper applications, you are unable to submit an incomplete form because the webpage will block you from doing so. The application will never be placed in “pending” status and will be automatically approved. Paper registrations allow for human error, mistaken forms, reregistration of individuals already registered to vote, among other issues.

In short, NGP created this “problem” and is now trying to place the blame on Brian Kemp, even though it is the county elections offices who process applications and only do so when they are complete and accurate – because that is the law.

These folks can vote, and will no longer be “pending” once they verify their identity at their polling location on Election Day. A driver’s license will do. Thanks to Online Voter Registration- i.e. Brian Kemp, it’s never been easier to vote in Georgia.