Brad Raffensperger Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Georgia State Election Board Passes Ballot Hand-Count Rule for November Election

September 20, 2024 Just the News

The Georgia State Election Board passed a rule on Friday requiring precincts to hand-count ballots for the November election and ensure the tallies match the machine count before election certification. The board voted 3-2 to pass the rule, The Guardian reported. The hand count only applies to election night, not early voting. The board voted 4-1 to table a proposal on hand-counting during early voting after a board member was concerned about information leaking regarding election tallies before all results are counted.

Hundreds of Non-Citizens on State Voter Rolls, but Democrats Say GOP Concerns Are ‘Election Denialism’

May 25, 2024May 24, 2024 Just the News

Democrats insist Republicans’ claims about non-citizen voting in U.S. elections is election denialism, despite states reporting hundreds of non-citizens were found and removed from their voter rolls.

As House Republicans passed bills ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections, Democrats claimed that concerns over non-citizens voting is merely a GOP effort to undermine faith in elections ahead of the November presidential election.

Judge Shoots Down Trump’s Attempt to Block Potential Prosecution in Georgia

August 1, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

A Georgia state judge shot down former President Donald Trump’s effort to halt a potential indictment over alleged interference in the 2020 election Monday.

Texas, Georgia, Arizona: Three Cases Studies of State Oversight of Troubled Local Elections

May 31, 2023 Just the News

Republican-run Texas and Georgia have given state officials oversight of some local elections following issues in Democratic counties, while Arizona didn’t do so there was a Republican administration.

Last week, the Texas House passed two pieces of election integrity legislation that were previously passed by the state Senate.

Mike Lindell Calls Kemp, Raffensperger, and Carr the ‘Triple Crown of Crime’

May 9, 2022May 8, 2022 Admin

Minnesotan entrepreneur, conservative politico, and CEO of My Pillow, Mike Lindell, spoke to The Georgia Star News on Saturday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he criticized the three most infamous election integrity antagonists in the Peach State when he declared, “you guys have the Triple Crown of Crime down here with Kemp, Raffensperger and Carr and all of them need to go.”

Lindell continued, “I mean, this is our country. Of all the stuff I’ve been out there fighting for with the election crimes. And then you have Republicans, the Republicans have turned on, not just Georgia, but on our country. I mean, you’ve got to get new people and we got to get people that have the people’s back.”

Trump-Endorsed Rep. Jody Hice Running Against Brad Raffensperger ‘to Take Him Out’

March 19, 2022March 23, 2022 Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, a constellation of 11 state-focused news sites, which includes The Georgia Star News, interviewed Rep. Jody B. Hice (R.-Ga.) about his race for Georgia secretary of state.

Hice said it was frustrating to watch Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger botch the 2020 election, and be unable to do anything about it, and this frustration motivated him to run against him.

The Star News Network’s National Political Editor Neil McCabe Visits Georgia State Capitol to Question Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

March 12, 2022 Julie Carr

The Star News Network National Political Editor, Neil W. McCabe visited the Georgia State Capitol Thursday to ask Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger specific questions about the documents underpinning the 2020 election results.

Georgia Elections Chief Vows to ‘Follow the Money’ in Harvesting Probe, Prosecute if Warranted

March 2, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Georgia’s election chief is vowing a full-scale investigation into allegations Democrats may have illegally harvested ballots in the 2020 election, saying his team is preparing subpoenas to “follow the money” and bring prosecutions if warranted.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sought to dispel whispers in conservative circles that he is slow-walking the probe he announced in January, explaining to Just the News that the only delays are related to administrative changes on the State Elections Board. That panel possesses the power to issue subpoenas Raffensperger says his investigators need to solve the case.

Georgia’s Raffensperger: ‘Nationwide There Should Be a Law That Bans Ballot Harvesting’

January 11, 2022January 10, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Sign that says "protect election integrity"

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says he supports a national law that bans ballot harvesting, the third-party gathering and delivering of absentee ballots for voters.

“One thing that I do think we need is to make sure that nationwide there should be a law that bans ballot harvesting,” the Republican politician said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “I don’t think that ballot harvesting is good. The only person that should touch your ballot is you and the election official. So I think that’s one solid election reform measure.”

Ballot harvesting is legal in some states but not in Georgia.

11 Months After 2020 Election Georgia Secretary of State Missing Chain of Custody Documents for 6,995 Absentee Ballots Deposited in Fulton County Drop Boxes

October 4, 2021October 3, 2021 Laura Baigert

A review of transfer forms provided to The Georgia Star News in response to an open records request reveals that the Secretary of State’s office in Georgia is missing chain of custody documents for 6,995 absentee ballots deposited in drop boxes in Fulton County during the November 2020 election.

The number of absentee ballots for which the office has no evidence of the origination of the ballots represents 9 percent of the 79,460 total that Fulton County has recorded as being deposited into drop boxes during the more than month-long early voting and election day period.

Former President Trump Sends Letter to Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger Asking to Investigate Report of DeKalb County Chain of Custody Violations; ‘If True Start the Process of Decertifying’

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump sent a letter on Friday to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking the top election official to investigate potential threats to the state’s election integrity.

In the letter to Raffensperger, Trump cited a report from The Georgia Star News, which detailed that 43,000 absentee ballot votes counted in DeKalb County, Georgia 2020 election potentially violated chain of custody rule.

Georgia Elections Chief Expects to Be Subpoenaed by January 6 Commission, Vows Not to Comply

September 17, 2021September 16, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger expects to be subpoenaed as early as Friday by the congressional commission investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and is vowing not to comply.

“I’m focused on secure and accessible elections — not re-litigating the past, whether January 6th, the 2018 election, or the 2020 election,” Raffensperger said in a statement provided to Just the News on Thursday evening.

Analysis of DeKalb County, Georgia 2020 Election Absentee Ballot Transfer Forms Identifies Several Problems

August 30, 2021August 29, 2021 Laura Baigert

An analysis by The Georgia Star News of DeKalb County’s absentee ballot drop box transfer forms from the November 2020 election identified a number of problems that puts the documents out of compliance with the Georgia Board of Election Emergency Rule 183-1-14-1.8-.14.

The Star News reviewed 725 absentee ballot drop box transfer forms, obtained from the DeKalb County law department in response to an open records request, that were used by DeKalb County during the November 2020 election to document the chain of custody of the 61,731 absentee ballots deposited in drop boxes .

Federal Judge Denies Injunction Request to Stop Georgia’s Voter Integrity Law

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 Chris Butler

A U.S. District Judge on Wednesday denied one group’s request that he issue a preliminary injunction against certain sections of Georgia’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. The Coalition for Good Governance requested the injunction for the July 13 runoff election for Georgia State House District 34.

Georgia Public Broadcasting Reveals Secretary of State Raffensperger Delivered Some Fulton County Absentee Ballot Chain of Custody Documents to Them in April

July 1, 2021June 30, 2021 Laura Baigert

An interview between The Georgia Star News and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) News revealed that they had received Fulton County’s drop box absentee ballot transfer forms from the Secretary of State’s office in April. GPB News, however, did not report on their findings until after The Star News report in June.

Stephen Fowler of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) News requested an interview with John Fredericks, which also included Laura Baigert, of The Georgia Star News, as part of his fact-check for a story and to get comments from everyone involved.

Georgia Secretary of State Says He Wants Fulton County Elections Taken Over by State

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told Just the News on Wednesday that he wants Fulton County elections taken over by the state under a new law that addresses localities with habitual problems counting ballots, dramatically escalating his battle with the state’s largest urban center in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

“I think people are saying, enough is enough,” Raffensperger said in a podcast interview in which he discussed using the new election integrity law known as Senate Bill 202 to have the State Elections Board take over the Atlanta-area election counting in time for the 2022 elections.

Georgia Voters’ Rights on the Docket as Judge Grapples with Fulton County Election Controversy: No Decision Yet

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 Chris Butler

McDONOUGH, GEORGIA — The lawsuit alleging voting shenanigans in Fulton County during last year’s presidential election continued Monday as Chief Judge Brian Amero heard opposing attorneys spar over voters’ rights and who to hold accountable for violating those rights. Amero presides over the case out of Henry County.

Georgia Investigator’s Notes Reveal ‘Massive’ Election Integrity Problems in Atlanta

June 18, 2021June 17, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

In a nationally televised interview in January, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rattled off an impressive list of measures his state used to ensure the November election count was accurate. “We had safe, secure, honest elections,” he declared to “60 Minutes.”

Judge Halts Audit of Georgia Ballots

May 27, 2021May 28, 2021 Cooper Moran

A judge in Georgia is temporarily stopping the audit on absentee ballots in Fulton County, Georgia that was allowed earlier last week.

Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, the same judge who granted the initial audit, ruled as officials within the county have filed numerous motions in an attempt to stop the audit.

Georgia’s Embattled Secretary of State Raffensperger to Seek Another Term

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 Cooper Moran

Controversial Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed on Tuesday that he will seek another term.

Raffensperger has been the focal point of criticism of Georgia’s election from both sides of the political aisle. He routinely ignored the widespread concerns over election security throughout the state.

85 Percent of 59,000 Absentee Ballots Placed in Fulton County Drop Boxes in 2020 Election Were Not Transported to Registrar ‘Immediately’ As Georgia State Rule Requires; 5 Percent Were Delivered BEFORE They Were Picked Up

May 19, 2021May 18, 2021 Laura Baigert

Ballot transfer forms from Fulton County reveal that 86 percent of the more than 59,000 absentee ballots analyzed from drop box locations, required to be “immediately transported” to the county registrar according to Emergency Rule of the State Election Board for Absentee Voting, took more than one hour to be transferred to election officials.

State Election Board Emergency Rule 183-1-14 relative to securing absentee ballot drop boxes, which went around state law, was adopted by the State Election Board at their July 1, 2020, meeting.

Brad Raffensperger Says Three Georgia Counties ‘Failed to Do Their Absentee Ballot Transfer Forms’ in Compliance with Rules and Regulations

April 8, 2021April 8, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Wednesday announced that he had referred three counties for investigation after they bucked state law and failed to do their absentee ballot transfer forms from last November’s presidential election. Raffensperger, in a press release, identified those three counties as Coffee, Grady, and Taylor. The three counties account for only 0.37 percent of all absentee ballots cast in last year’s election, he said.

Fifteen Secretaries of State Endorse Keep Nine Amendment

February 10, 2021February 9, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

A group of 15 secretaries of state this week issued their support for the “Keep Nine Amendment” recently introduced in Congress, marking the latest victory for the organization seeking to preserve the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Keep Nine Amendment said in a statement that the 15 sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Georgia Secretary of State Classified Trump’s Private Call a ‘Threat’ During 60 Minutes Interview

January 12, 2021January 11, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called President Trump’s remarks a “threat” during a 60 Minutes interview aired Monday. The interview also included previous Voting System Implementation Manager Gabriel Sterling, currently the Secretary of State’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Raffensperger was referring to a secretly-recorded, leaked call in which the President questioned the merits of Georgia’s elections systems, voter fraud allegations, and election irregularities. At several points, Trump criticized Raffensperger for stating that there wasn’t any evidence of criminality within the 2020 general election. The President also likened Raffensperger’s unwillingness to assign credibility to election fraud claims with criminal activity.
Raffensperger was referring to a secretly-recorded, leaked call in which the President questioned the merits of Georgia’s elections systems, voter fraud allegations, and election irregularities. At several points, Trump criticized Raffensperger for stating that there wasn’t any evidence of criminality within the 2020 general election. The President also likened Raffensperger’s unwillingness to assign credibility to election fraud claims with criminal activity.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Bashes Republicans in CNN Interview, Intends to Certify Runoff Election for Democrats

January 9, 2021January 8, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

CNN found a new darling in Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who bashed Republicans and President Donald J. Trump in an interview with the network Thursday.

“For two long months, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger endured, standing in the firing line of Trump’s baseless attacks,” CNN’s Amara Walker said in a television interview featuring Raffensperger.

Twitter, Media Prepping Public for Georgia Election Uncertainty

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Twitter paired up with far-left news outlet Reuters Tuesday to prepare the public for a drawn-out runoff election process in Georgia.

“Why the winners in Georgia runoffs might not be known for days,” a Twitter “moment” said.

Georgia Voter: Spalding County Precinct Voting Machines Broken, No Paper Ballots Offered

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 Corinne Murdock

A Spalding County voter told The Georgia Star News early Tuesday that voting machines broke at a Griffin-area polling place, and instead of receiving paper ballots, workers sent the voters waiting in line away.

In an interview with The Star News, the voter stated that she’d arrived at her polling place at Union Baptist church early because she works several jobs and wanted to ensure she could cast her vote.

Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger on the Defense as Trump Presses on Difficult Questions About Drop Boxes, Signature Matching in Leaked Call

January 5, 2021January 4, 2021 Corinne Murdock

A private call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was leaked by The Washington Post on Sunday afternoon. The call reportedly took place almost exactly a day prior to the time that the audio was leaked.

Others on the call included White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s attorneys Cleta Mitchell and Kurt Hilbert, Georgia’s Secretary of State General Counsel Ryan Germany, and Georgia’s Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs.

Major Flaws in Georgia Secretary of State’s ‘Audit’ of Absentee Ballot Signature Matching in Cobb County

January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is not responding to questions about major flaws in his office’s “audit” of Cobb County absentee ballot envelope signatures counted in the November 3 presidential election, the results of which were announced in a press release last week.

Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have certified that former Vice President Joe Biden secured a razor thin margin of victory of 11,779 votes in Georgia in the November 3 election, despite numerous lawsuits alleging significant irregularities in that election.

Georgia GOP Senators Introduce Special Session Petition

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Four Georgia lawmakers – State Senators Brandon Beach (R-Cherokee), Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming), William Ligon (R-Brunswick), and Burt Jones (R-Jackson) (pictured above, left to right) – bucked their leadership Monday to launch a petition to force a special session of the Georgia General Assembly. They need 29 signatures to force…

Georgia Secretary of State Says Trump Should Give Up and ‘Leave Quietly’

November 29, 2020November 28, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated that President Donald Trump should give up and “leave quietly” from the White House. The secretary of state made these comments in an interview with Atlanta Journal-Constitution published Saturday.

“When you lose an election, you should leave quietly. It’s the will of the people that has been expressed,” stated Raffensperger.

Breakdown of Sidney Powell’s Lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan

November 28, 2020November 27, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Attorney Sidney Powell delivered on her promise to file massive election fraud lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan. The Georgia lawsuit was the weightier of the two, totaling 104 pages, with the Michigan lawsuit reaching 75 pages. Both lawsuits and all evidence are included on Powell’s legal defense fund website.

Thanksgiving Eve was an action-packed day for Powell – she followed up the presidential pardoning of her client, General Michael Flynn, by filing both lawsuits just before midnight.

Sidney Powell ‘Releases the Kraken’ in Georgia Lawsuit

November 26, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Attorney Sidney Powell filed her “Biblical” lawsuit on Wednesday in Georgia, making good on her promise to “release the Kraken.” The defendants were named as Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and State Election Board members David Worley, Rebecca Sullivan, Matthew Mashburn, and Anh Le. The lawsuit called into question around 146,600 votes at minimum.

The 104-page lawsuit claimed that Dominion Voting Systems (Dominion) engaged in virtual ballot-stuffing through its electronic voting software. It bolstered its claim by alleging that the software design was created to manipulate the Venezuelan elections of Hugo Chavez, and was designed in a way to hide vote manipulations from any audits.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Silent on Demands He Audit Absentee Ballots

November 24, 2020November 23, 2020 Chris Butler

Members of the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party have asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to order an immediate audit of the absentee ballots cast in the 2020 general election.

This audit, members of the Georgia GOP said in an open letter, must verify that signatures match.

Georgia GOP Revolt: Beach, Senators Lead Uprising Against Gov. Kemp-Demand Special Session

November 19, 2020November 18, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Eleven of Georgia’s state senators are petitioning Governor Brian Kemp to call a special legislative session to amend election law, according to State Senator Brandon Beach (R-GA-Cherokee County). These legislators have also asked for an immediate oversight committee to look into the general election and rectify any mistakes prior to the January 5th runoff election.

Beach explained to The Georgia Star that widespread concern over the consent decree, voting discrepancies, and residency requirements have compromised faith in the upcoming runoff election.

Famed Attorney Lin Wood Blows the Doors off Alleged Georgia Vote Scam; Predicts New Election

November 17, 2020May 18, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Attorney Lincoln “Lin” Wood Jr. stated that Georgia may undergo another election if his lawsuit succeeds.

Wood is best known for his work with high-profile clients such as Richard Jewell, JonBenet Ramsey’s parents, Gary Condit, and Kobe Bryant’s alleged victim. Most recently, Wood made headlines for defending teenagers Nicholas Sandmann and Jacob Blake.

Georgia Approves Carter Center Founded by Democratic Ex-President to Monitor Recount But Rejects Trump’s Request to Do the Same

November 17, 2020November 16, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

The State of Georgia approved a center founded by Democratic ex-president Jimmy Carter to monitor the recount, but will not allow President Donald Trump to do the same.

The Carter Center on Friday said Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office accredited it to “monitor the risk-limiting audit taking place in the state of Georgia.”

Mainstream Media Calls Georgia for Biden Despite Recount Over Widespread Voting Irregularities

November 14, 2020November 13, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

The mainstream media, including The Hill here, on Friday afternoon called the Georgia election for Joe Biden despite a recount being taken amid widespread voting irregularities.

Georgia Audit Limits Monitors and Omits Absentee Ballot Signature Matching

November 14, 2020November 13, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Shortly before the Georgia ballot audit began, uproar broke out over the limited amount of monitors overseeing the process and omission of absentee ballot signature matching.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) on Wednesday. The audit consisted of a hand recount beginning Friday.

IT Professional, Software Expert Explains How Dominion Is Hackable – and How Georgia’s Voting Systems Are Vulnerable

November 13, 2020November 12, 2020 Corinne Murdock

IT professionals and software experts are coming forward to share how the controversial Dominion Voting Systems (Dominion) can be hacked. They also call into question components within Dominion shared by other voting systems.

The Tennessee Star interviewed career IT professional and security software expert Garland Favorito to learn more about vulnerabilities within Dominion Voting Systems’ software in Georgia.

Trump Campaign Updates Press on Legal Efforts in Georgia: ‘It’s Not Over’

November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 Corinne Murdock

The Trump Campaign hosted a press call on Wednesday to discuss their ongoing legal efforts in Georgia. Featured speakers on the call included Trump 2020 Campaign counsel Stefan Passantino, counsel Mark “Thor” Hearne, Communications Director Tim Murtaugh, Representative Doug Collins (R-GA-09).

Passantino opened the call by reasserting the fact that the estimated 71 million people who voted for President Trump “deserve to know that this election is free, fair, and secure.” He added that supporters of Joe Biden deserve to know as well to maintain confidence in the propriety of the nation’s elections.

Glitchy Dominion Voting Machines in Georgia Were Used in Response to Previous Voting Concerns

November 11, 2020November 10, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Dominion voting machines, which have drawn scrutiny over security concerns during the November 3 elections, ironically made their entrance into use in Georgia this year after concerns were raised about the sanctity of past elections.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in an undated press release that he had selected Dominion Voting Systems’ new verified paper ballot system to be in operation for the March 24, 2020 presidential primary.

Glitch-Prone Dominion Voting Software Used in Georgia Counties

November 10, 2020November 9, 2020 Corinne Murdock

A glitch-prone voting software called Dominion Voting Systems (Dominion) was used in all 159 of Georgia counties. Dominion classified their presence in Georgia as a “statewide voting system rollout.”

This past week, Dominion has caused delayed voting and reporting results in Gwinnett County, Morgan County, and Spalding County. Gwinnett County is the same location a whistleblower claimed had ballot machines used that were missing security seals.

County in Georgia Re-Scans Ballots After Coming Up Short, Cites ‘System Error’

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 Corinne Murdock

On Saturday, Fulton County officials discovered that the number of scanned ballots didn’t reflect the totals received. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the news of a rescan that afternoon.

Raffensperger dispatched a monitor, investigators, and Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs to moderate the process at State Farm Arena.

Over Half of Double Voters in Georgia Primary Were Democrats, Secretary of State Announces

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Georgia Secretary of State announced Tuesday that about 1,000 Georgians face investigation for voting twice in the state’s June 9 primary, and 58 percent of them were cast for Democrats. A Georgia voter must request a specific party ballot in the primary election.

“While the investigation is still ongoing, initial results show that of the partisan ballots at issue, approximately 58% were Democratic ballots,” a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told Breitbart News.