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The Senate voted 31-22 to pass Senate Bill 189, sending it on to the House for more debate. Also Tuesday, Burns' committee approved a state constitutional amendment that says only U.S. citizens can vote in Georgia elections. Supporters, including Raffensperger, claim the measure is needed to make sure no one ever changes the current Georgia law that bars noncitizens from voting. Some lawmakers hope new optical scanners can be purchased and used to count ballots without QR codes this year. All Democrats, even one who voted to ban QR codes in committee, voted against the Senate bill Tuesday.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Bill, Brad Raffensperger's, it's, Max Burns, ” Burns, Donald Trump, Alex Halderman, Raffensperger, Burns, noncitizens, Matt Hatchett, Sen, Sally Harrell, Harrell Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Republican, Sylvania Republican, Fox News, Dominion, Board, Georgia, Dublin Republican, Atlanta Democrat Locations: — Georgia, Georgia, Atlanta

The Senate voted 30-19 along party lines Friday for Senate Bill 358, sending it to the House for more debate. The chamber's Republican majority also on Friday pushed through a proposal to ban ranked-choice voting in Georgia on a 31-19 party-line vote. Raffensperger, also a Republican, says it is unconstitutional for the Senate to give the State Election Board the power to oversee an elected official. Activists have been pushing the State Election Board to investigate whether Raffensperger mishandled his audit of Fulton County’s 2020 results, motivated by unproven claims of fraud. Parent said the bill is pointless because ranked-choice voting is only allowed in Georgia today on overseas ballots.

Persons: —, Brad Raffensperger's, Bill, Raffensperger, ”, Charlene McGowan, Sen, Max Burns, Burns, Chris Carr, Fulton, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Lower, uncounted, Republican Sen, Randy Robertson, Cataula, Robertson, Elena Parent, Parent Organizations: ATLANTA, Republican, Senate, Sylvania Republican, Raffensperger, Board, Democratic, Republican Georgia, Atlanta Democrat, ” Locations: — Georgia's, Georgia, Atlanta, ” Florida, Idaho , Montana , South Dakota, Tennessee

ATLANTA (AP) — An attempt to state that Georgia's appointed State Election Board has the legal power to investigate Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's handling of elections blossomed into a constitutional showdown Tuesday, with a lawyer for Raffensperger saying board members can't legally oversee him. “We’re looking to empower the State Election Board so that they can have oversight responsibility and that there’s no confusion about where that oversight responsibility is vested,” said Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Sylvania Republican. Activists have been pushing the State Election Board to investigate whether Raffensperger mishandled his audit of Fulton County's 2020 results, motivated by unproven claims of fraud. The board deadlocked 2-2 in December on whether it had such authority, and two board members asked lawmakers to clarify the law. Supporters said they can go forward because most of Raffensperger's election responsibilities are outlined in state law, not the Georgia Constitution.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger's, Charlene McGowan, Raffensperger's, Bill, ”, Max Burns, It's, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Raffensperger, Fulton, it's, “, Steve Gooch, ” McGowan, Lawmakers, Gabriel Sterling, Sterling, John LaHood, LaHood, Jon Burns, let’s, ” Sen Brandon Beach Organizations: ATLANTA, Republican, Raffensperger, Board, Sylvania Republican, Democratic, Georgia, Georgia General Assembly, Governmental, Valdosta Republican Locations: Georgia, Valdosta

ATLANTA (AP) — Some Republican lawmakers continued to press Wednesday for changes to protect Georgia's voting system from security weaknesses, but a deputy to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused them of acting in bad faith and promoting lies that Georgia's 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. The dispute with some Republicans in the state Senate stems from vulnerabilities in Dominion Voting Systems equipment identified by J. Alex Halderman, an expert witness in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Georgia’s election system. However, they say it's impractical to update all 40,000 electronic voting machines and scanners statewide before the 2024 election cycle begins. Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Sylvania Republican, said at the end of the hearing he wanted to see changes. Fueling interest in voting changes are Republican Party activists who say that Georgia's 16 electoral votes were stolen from Trump in 2020.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Donald Trump, J, Alex Halderman, Halderman, he's, Gabriel Sterling, We’re, Sterling, “, Sen, Brandon Beach, Greg Dolezal, we’re, ” Dolezal, Max Burns, Burns, Raffensperger, Randy Robertson, Rudy Giuliani, Trump, Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Ray Smith, Robert Cheeley, Ellis, Steve Gooch, Dahlonega —, Sidney Powell Organizations: ATLANTA, Republican, Voting Systems, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Cumming Republican, Dominion, Sylvania Republican, Rotary Club, Republican Party, Trump Locations: U.S, Brandon, Fulton, Beach, Georgia

☆ Georgia indicted Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Why hasn't any other state?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Georgia is the only state to indict Donald Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Donald Trump and his merry band of indicted lawyers and fake electors tried to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Mexico, and Michigan. Trump went further in Georgia than in any other state to overturn the results of the election. REUTERS/Elijah NouvelageIn addition to bringing criminal charges against Trump personally, Smith is examining other modes of interference in the 2020 election. "Those who wish to avoid felony charges in Fulton County, Georgia — including violations of Georgia RICO law — should not commit felonies in Fulton County, Georgia," Willis wrote.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Fani Willis, David Graham, plumb, Norm Eisen, Amy Lee Copeland, Jack Smith, haven't, Elijah Nouvelage, Smith, Kathy Boockvar, Joe Biden, Boockvar, it's, Dana Nessel, Nessel, Alex Brandon Wisconsin, Josh Kaul, Aaron Ford, Josh Shapiro, Willis, schoolteachers, John E, Floyd, Eisen, Brad Raffensperger, Ronald Carlson, Brad, Joe Raedle, Jim Jordan of, shouldn't, —, Jordan, Floyd — Organizations: Service, Peach State, The New York Times ., Trump, DOJ, Capitol, New Mexico —, Justice Department, Washington, Washington Post, Security, Republican, RICO, Office, Brookings Institution, Biden, University of Georgia School of Law, Trump Force, State Locations: Georgia, Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania, Wall, Silicon, Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, Fulton County, Atlanta, The, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada , New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan , Wisconsin, Georgia , Michigan, Fulton, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Fulton County , Georgia

☆ Georgia grand jury indicts Trump, Giuliani, and others over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A Georgia grand jury indicted Donald Trump on charges related to his effort to overturn the 2020 election. After reportedly making 18 attempts to contact Raffensperger, Trump and his team finally got through to him. Rudy Giuliani arriving at a courthouse in Atlanta to face questions from the special grand jury. That special grand jury completed a report earlier this year summarizing their findings and making charging recommendations to the Fulton County District Attorney's office. Some of those fake electors have reportedly accepted immunity deals with prosecutors in the months since the completion of the special grand jury report.

Persons: Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Trump, Joe Biden, Fulton, Fani Willis, Mark, Sidney Powell, Willis, —, Brad Raffensperger, baselessly, Raffensperger, Brynn Anderson, Brian Kemp, Gov, Geoff Duncan, Chris Carr, Trump's, Cleta Mitchell, Kurt Hilbert, Frances Watson, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Kemp, Lindsey Graham of, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Jack Smith, Smith, Stormy Daniels, Ben Gray, he's, Jean Carroll Organizations: Service, Georgia, Georgia's, Raffensperger, Georgia Republican, Trump, Justice, Republican, New York Attorney, Capitol Locations: Georgia, Wall, Silicon, Fulton County's, Mark Meadows, Atlanta, Trump, Meadows, Sen, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Fulton County, Washington , DC, Florida, Manhattan

☆ Georgia election official Raffensperger to speak with Jan. 6 investigators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Georgia's top election official, Brad Raffensperger, is scheduled on Wednesday to answer questions from federal investigators examining former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, a spokesperson for Raffensperger's office said. Trump, front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential race, has denied any wrongdoing and asserts falsely that the election was rigged. The Atlanta district attorney is also conducting an investigation into whether Trump and his allies unlawfully sought to interfere with the 2020 election. Trump faces state charges in Manhattan that he falsified business records to conceal a hush-money payment to a porn star who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with him. Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Donald Trump's, Raffensperger, Trump, Joe Biden's, Jack Smith, General Merrick Garland, Smith, Raffensperger's, Joseph Ax, Andy Sullivan, Howard Goller Organizations: Trump, U.S . Capitol, Republican, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: U.S, Atlanta, Manhattan

☆ Grand jury in Georgia heard recording of Trump call to state House speaker -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Eric Beech | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The existence of such a recording, or that it was played for the 23-member special grand jury during the course of its eight-month investigation, has not been previously reported. Ralston and other state legislative leaders never called a special session, and the Georgia House speaker himself testified before the special Fulton County grand jury in July 2022, according to local media accounts. The George elections grand jury also is known to have examined a previously disclosed call Trump made on Jan. 2, 2021, to then-Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger falsely claiming that the November election results were fraudulent. That report, submitted to the Fulton County district attorney in January before the panel was dissolved, included who the grand jury recommended should be indicted. The special grand jury, unlike a regular grand jury, was not empowered to issue indictments, only recommendations, and the decision on whether to press charges ultimately rests with the district attorney, Fani Willis.

☆ GA Sec of State Brad Raffensperger said his office ghosted Lindsey Graham after the senator questioned the state's recount during the 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ghosted Sen. Lindsey Graham in November 2020. In a newly-released transcript, Raffensperger said Graham made an odd request during Georgia's recount. During the call with Graham, Raffensperger said that there hadn't been an outright ask to find additional votes like Trump requested in January 2021 but maintained the conversation was ominous. In January 2021, Raffensperger was asked by former President Donald Trump to "find" 11,780 votes to overturn the state's 2020 election results, a move which Raffensperger said led to months of death threats to him and his family. In an interview with Insider, Raffensperger maintained that election misinformation was the biggest threat to democracy in the US.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Wednesday called for the state Legislature to end general election runoff contests. “Georgia is one of the only states in the country with a General Election Runoff,” he said in a statement. It was the state's third Senate general election runoff in the past two election cycles. Under Georgia law, a runoff occurs if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in an election. Georgia is one of only two states — the other is Louisiana — that continue to hold general election runoffs (though another nine use runoffs in primaries).

☆ Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger calls on state legislators to eliminate runoff elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called for an end to general election runoffs. "Georgia is one of the only states in the country with a General Election Runoff. I'm calling on the General Assembly to visit the topic of the General Election Runoff and consider reforms," Raffensperger said in a statement. In the November general election, Warnock edged out Walker 49.4%-48.5%, but since neither candidate met the 50 percent threshold, the race was extended for an additional four weeks. State courts sided with the plaintiffs and voting took place on November 26 in select jurisdictions across the state.

☆ DOJ special counsel in Trump probe subpoenas Georgia secretary of state
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is also running for re-election on the Republican ticket, holds his first press briefing of Election Day in Atlanta, Georgia, November 8, 2022. The Department of Justice special counsel overseeing two criminal investigations of former President Donald Trump, Jack Smith, has issued a subpoena seeking documents from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Smith's subpoena, which Raffensperger's office confirmed to NBC News, is connected to the probe of Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss to President Joe Biden. A source familiar with the subpoena, which the secretary of state's office received Monday, told NBC that Raffensperger's lawyers are "weighing options" for a timeline to respond to the subpoena. Trump on Jan. 2, 2021, unsuccessfully lobbied Raffensperger to "find" the ex-president enough votes in Georgia to reverse Biden's win there.

We’re going to win Georgia,” Biden said in response to questions regarding his outlook on the Georgia Senate runoff contest as he exited Air Force One Tuesday night. Share this -Link copiedWarnock defeats Walker in Georgia Senate runoff, NBC News projects Sen. Raphael Warnock has won his second statewide runoff election in the last two years, defeating Republican Herschel Walker in the increasingly purple state of Georgia to capture a six-year term in the Senate, NBC News projected. Share this -Link copiedThe Senate runoff election is still too close to call, but Warnock leads The Senate runoff election between Warnock and Walker is still too close to call, but Warnock leads, NBC News' Decision Desk said just before 10 p.m. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker.

The turnout in the Senate runoff was nearly 75% to 80% of the entire turnout for the midterm election in November. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has a massive ad-spending and fundraising advantage over Republican Herschel Walker in the runoff election. In the 2022 general election, Warnock grew his advantage in Henry County, winning it by just over 31 points.

☆ Heavy turnout in Georgia runoff election as early voting wraps up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Voters attend to cast their ballots in the runoff election for the Senate position, between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican candidate Herschel Walker, at the Metropolitan Library, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Megan Varner/File PhotoDec 2 (Reuters) - Election officials on Friday reported heavy turnout in Georgia on the last day of early voting ahead of the Dec. 6 runoff election that will determine whether Democrats can add to their razor-thin majority in the U.S. Senate. As of Friday morning, at least 1,473,00 voters had cast early ballots in person or via mail, according to Raffensperger's office. Voters will be able to cast ballots in person on Tuesday and return mail ballots through that day as well. Warnock narrowly edged Walker in the Nov. 8 election by 49.44% to 48.49%, even as Republican candidates won other statewide races.

Raffensperger, a Republican, had maintained that changes to Georgia voting laws meant that there could be no early voting on Nov. 26, the only Saturday when it would have been possible for Georgians to cast an early vote in the hotly contested race. Brian Kemp in March 2021, which stipulates early in-person voting must end the Friday before the runoff. The law also stipulates early in-person voting not be held on any Saturday that follows a “public or legal holiday” on the preceding Thursday or Friday. Raffensperger contended that meant there would be no early in-person voting on Nov. 26, the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Voting rights groups have pushed counties in Georgia to open up early in-person voting on Nov. 22, 23 and 27.

☆ Georgia opens probe of unmailed Cobb County absentee ballots after lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an afternoon update on the Georgia Primary Election at the election command center in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24, 2022. Within hours of the investigation being announced, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit told NBC News that Cobb County agreed to extend the absentee ballot deadline to Nov. 14. Raffensperger, who is the state's top election official, is one of the defendants in the lawsuit, along with Cobb County board officials and the state election board. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed the lawsuit Sunday in county Superior Court on behalf of four Cobb County voters. The suit says the Cobb County Election Board had failed to send absentee ballots in a timely fashion to all voters whose applications for such ballots had been accepted.

☆ Supreme Court denies Sen. Lindsey Graham's bid to avoid testifying in Georgia election interference case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to block a subpoena demanding his testimony before a Georgia grand jury investigating possible criminal interference in that state's 2020 presidential election. The subpoena to Graham calls for him to testify before the grand jury in Atlanta on Nov. 17. In its order Tuesday, the Supreme Court noted, "The lower courts also made clear that Senator Graham may return to the District Court should disputes arise regarding the application of the Speech or Debate Clause immunity to specific questions. " A day after that loss, Graham asked Thomas, the Supreme Court justice who has authority over emergency applications from 11th Circuit cases, to temporarily block the subpoena. "Secretary Raffensperger said that Senator Graham suggested that Georgia could discard or invalidate large numbers of mail-in ballots from certain areas," the filing said.

☆ Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's wife told Sen. Kelly Loeffler she didn't 'deserve to be in elected office' in text after 2020 election: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tricia Raffensperger chastised Kelly Loeffler for endangering her life in 2020 for political gain. The wife of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger slammed Loeffler in heated text messages. Loeffler called for Brad Raffensperger’s ouster to further Trump’s 2020 election denial scheme. "I hold you personally responsible for anything that happens to any of my family," Tricia Raffensperger wrote, adding, "You do not deserve to be in elected office." And that's all we did," Brad Raffensperger said.

☆ Georgia breaks first-day early voting record, nearly doubles figure from last midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A line of early voters file down the hall as early voting begins for the midterm elections at the Citizens Service Center in Columbus, Georgia, October 17, 2022. Turnout from Georgia's first day of early voting set a new state record for a midterm election, nearly doubling the figure from the same time period in the previous midterms, state election officials said Tuesday. More than 131,000 Georgia voters cast ballots since early voting began Monday, according to the office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The figure represents an 85% boost over the 2018 midterms, when nearly 71,000 early votes were cast on Day One, the office said. Georgia's latest tally is also nearly as large as the state's first day of early voting in the 2020 presidential election — 136,739 in that contest versus 131,318 in the current cycle, Raffensperger's office said.

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