Georgia Secretary of State, Hate Group Leader Discuss Voter Fraud Probe
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger joined Tony Perkins, president of anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council (FRC), on the Sept. 9 episode of Perkins鈥� radio show 鈥淲ashington Watch鈥� to discuss his office鈥檚 investigation into allegations of double voting.
Raffensperger provided no evidence to support the 聽that as many as 1,000 people voted by absentee ballot and in person during the June 9 primary, according to SavannahNow.com.
The investigation came days after President Trump 聽to vote at the polls after sending in their absentee ballots, claiming the system is untrustworthy and the votes would be lost.
Perkins and FRC have been touting voter fraud myths, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought a push for safer voting 鈥� including by mail. In April, for example, Perkins expressed opposition to mail-in voting聽and claimed it was rife with the potential for fraud.
Right-wing conspiracy theories about voter fraud have circulated for years. Falsehoods used to defend and pass laws 鈥� such as photo ID 鈥� often suppress the rights of people of color, young voters, the elderly and low-income citizens.
FRC, however, supports absentee voting, according to a voter guide available on its website. Absentee voting requires a mail-in ballot.
Perkins also expressed concern about universal mail-in ballots in the segment with Raffensperger.
The so-called universal mail-in ballot has been a , which has spent millions on messaging and lawsuits and has failed to stop states from adopting the practice.
The Trump campaign has consistently claimed, with little evidence, that such ballots are ripe for voter fraud. In fact, all mailed ballots, whether absentee or mail-in, . Trump himself 聽in the Florida primaries, even giving the ballot to a third party to turn in, something he has claimed can lead to voter fraud.
On his Sept. 9 show Perkins referred to the allegations of double voting as fraud.
Raffensperger painted voters who double voted as intentionally doing so, saying that the voters requested absentee ballots, filled them out and sent them in. 鈥淭hen they went ahead and showed up at the polls and then wanted to vote again, and they cajoled or worked their way through the system.鈥� People who voted twice, he said, in effect disenfranchised a thousand voters. 鈥淏ecause they got two votes and you and I, we got one vote.鈥�
At Raffensperger鈥檚 Sept. 8 press conference, he claimed, 鈥淓very double voter will be investigated thoroughly鈥� and 鈥淎 double voter knows exactly what they are doing鈥� 鈥� the latter a claim he made repeatedly throughout the press conference. He also threatened felony prosecutions.
It鈥檚 unclear, however, whether these alleged double voters did so intentionally. Raffensperger mentioned only one person his office knew of who deliberately voted twice, and that person 聽to 鈥減rove that there is a flaw in the system.鈥� The Associated Press that Raffensperger 鈥渄idn鈥檛 provide any evidence of voter intent to game the system鈥� beyond the one case.
Hatewatch queries to the Georgia Secretary of State鈥檚 office were not returned.
According to , a record 1.1 million Georgians voted absentee in the June primary, while an additional 150,000 voters who had requested absentee ballots showed up to the polls during early voting and on Election Day.
Raffensperger said in the Sept. 8 press conference that about a thousand of those 150,000 voters who came to the polls in about 100 counties also voted absentee (less than a tenth of a percent of all absentee ballots cast).
Raffensperger admitted to Perkins that the alleged double voting did not affect the outcome of the election, but Perkins pressed him, raising the specter of more widespread voter fraud: 鈥淏ut, but 鈥� theoretically, we look at different parts of the country where you see some of these local elections that are decided by less than six votes, this could have 鈥� this could have altered the outcome.鈥�
Raffensperger agreed and Perkins moved the conversation to a discussion about circumstances that could have led to alleged voter fraud, including coronavirus, new machines, longer lines at polls and a shortage of poll workers. Raffensperger assured Perkins that his office was 鈥渃ircling back with all the counties鈥� to make sure this doesn鈥檛 happen again.
Perkins then brought up mail-in voting, asking Raffensperger: 鈥淚f you were to extrapolate this out across the country and you have states where they did universal mail-out ballots even though they鈥檙e not set up to do that 鈥� are you concerned that we could see wider-spread voter fraud in this election?鈥�
Raffensperger expressed concern about such ballots, claiming that 鈥淎mericans are mobile鈥� and move every year, so when ballots are sent out, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know if that person still lives there.鈥� People should have to request a ballot, he said.
When the segment with Raffensberger wrapped up, Perkins thanked him, expressed concern that the left is targeting red states, and exhorted red states to be 鈥渧ery vigilant鈥� about their voter rolls and how they鈥檙e voting, and, he continued, to 鈥渘ot be bullied into expanding voting options.鈥� The left, Perkins claimed, is 鈥渃lamoring for鈥� universal mail-in ballots, something Perkins and FRC oppose.
Voting rights advocates say more investigation is needed before officials jump to conclusions about double voting.
鈥淩affensperger has accused, tried, and convicted these 1,000 voters before even conducting a full investigation into the flaws of his own administration that might have contributed to any alleged problems,鈥� said Nancy Abudu, deputy legal director at 澳彩开奖 and head of the 澳彩开奖 Voting Rights Project.
Poor training of poll workers and the 鈥渄isastrous rollout of his absentee ballot program鈥� have led to massive voter confusion that may have affected the collection and proper processing of absentee ballots, she said.
鈥淩ather than jumping to conclusions, he should follow the law himself and afford these individuals an opportunity to be heard.鈥�
Photo illustration by 澳彩开奖
