Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger predicted smooth elections in the Peach State this year despite rules changes being imposed by a State Election Board that 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 in 2021 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 agencies in other states and the Georgia Department of Driver Services to identify voters who may have moved out of state.
Raffensperger did warn that rules changes approved in recent weeks by the five-member State Election Board could hold up the tabulation of election results.
