NATIONAL BRIEFING / GEORGIA

The Justice Department has rejected the state’s system of using Social Security numbers and driver’s license data to check whether prospective voters are citizens, a process that was the subject of a federal lawsuit before the November election.

The department said in a letter that the state’s voter verification program was frequently inaccurate and had a “discriminatory effect” on minorities. The decision means Georgia must halt the citizenship checks, although the state can ask the Justice Department to reconsider.

The decision comes as the state awaits word on whether a pending law that requires newly registering voters to prove their citizenship will pass legal muster. Under the law, which would take effect in January, people must show proof upfront, rather than having the state check their status.

Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Georgia is one of several states that need federal approval before changing election rules because of a history of discrimination.