Brad Raffensperger boosts Georgia election security
- Citizenship audit and photo ID for absentee voting implemented, he says
- Average voting wait time is reduced to two minutes in Georgia
- The secretary encourages voting in all elections
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(NewsNation) — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday he has taken “monumental steps” to improve election security ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Raffensperger, a Republican who gained national attention for rebuffing former President Donald Trump‘s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, cited a recent citizenship audit of voter rolls and the implementation of photo ID requirements for absentee voting.
“I can tell my fellow Georgians only American citizens are voting,” Raffensperger said on “NewsNation Now.” He noted that The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has ranked Georgia first for election integrity.
The secretary of state also highlighted efforts to reduce voting wait times, saying the average wait in recent elections has been two minutes.
Georgia, a key battleground state, is again in the spotlight as the 2024 election approaches. Vice President Kamala Harris was campaigning in the state on Tuesday with rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Raffensperger declined to endorse any candidate for the upcoming presidential election, stating that it was his policy not to do so as secretary of state.
When asked about Trump’s recent controversial comments suggesting people might not need to vote after the 2024 election, Raffensperger emphasized the importance of civic participation.
“I think our most precious franchise is the right to vote,” he said. “I encourage people to come out and vote every election.”
Raffensperger, who won reelection in 2022, said he expects high voter turnout in 2024, similar to the record-breaking numbers seen in recent elections.
Democrats made important gains in the 2020 election cycle in Georgia, winning two key U.S. Senate seats in addition to President Joe Biden’s narrow victory. However, state government remains dominated by Republicans — with a significant faction loyal to Trump.
Months after Raffensperger defended the 2020 election results, lawmakers from his own party removed him as chair of the State Election Board in a move many saw as retaliation. A new law this year took him off the board entirely.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
