Raffensperger: Georgia is prepared for smooth elections

Caption

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

Credit: Stephen Fowler / GPB News

ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Monday predicted smooth elections in the Peach State this year despite rules changes being imposed by a State Election Board he called “a mess.”

Raffensperger told members of the Atlanta Rotary Club reforms his office and the General Assembly have made since the last presidential election in 2020 should give voters confidence that the voting process is fair and honest.

A bill the legislature’s Republican majorities passed in 2021 over the objections of Democrats requires Georgia voters to show a photo ID no matter whether they’re voting in person on Election Day, taking advantage of 17 days of early voting, or voting by mail. Raffensperger said both Democrats and Republicans filed legal challenges against the old signature-match system.

Raffensperger’s office has conducted a statewide audit to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote in Georgia, a check that turned up 1,600 people who could not verify their citizenship. The secretary of state’s office also is working with sister agencies in other states and the Georgia Department of Driver Services to identify voters who may have moved out of state, he said.

Raffensperger expects about 65% of Georgia voters will cast their ballots before Election Day, either through early voting or by absentee ballot. Those who choose to vote on Nov. 5 shouldn’t have to wait more than an hour, he said.

“We’re trying to beat Chick-fil-A for the shortest lines,” he quipped.

However, Raffensperger warned that rules changes three supporters of former President Donald Trump who sit on the five-member State Election Board have approved in recent weeks could hold up the tabulation of results. He said the changes are being made too close to Election Day.

“The counties have already done poll worker training,” he said. “We’ve already built ballots. … It really is difficult to start changing the process.”

Raffensperger said he’s especially concerned with a rule change that will let election officials at the precinct level delay certifying the results if they believe fraud may have occurred. Such delays could prevent counties from turning in their results before the early morning hours after Election Day, he said.

By law, counties must certify election results or face being taken to court, Raffensperger said. 

“Then, your choice is you’ll do it or you’ll be in jail,” he said. 

While he disagrees with the rules changes, Raffensperger said he has no legal authority to rescind them. The General Assembly removed the secretary of state as the board’s chairman in 2021.

“It’s really their problem to fix,” he said.

Raffensperger urged Rotarians to volunteer to serve as poll workers. The secretary of state’s office is partnering with Vet the Vote, a new nationwide organization that recruits veterans and members of their families to serve as volunteer poll workers.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Capitol Beat News Service.