Raffensperger’s Assertion on Georgia’s Voter Rolls Is False
During a recent Georgia Senate Ethics Committee hearing on the state of Georgia’s voter rolls, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office, boldly claimed that Georgia has the cleanest voter list in the United States. However, as someone who has uncovered potential issues with Georgia’s voter rolls, I have serious doubts about Sterling’s assertion.
I testified at the hearing about the thousands of potentially invalid votes I discovered, cast by individuals with questionable residency. Despite this evidence, Raffensperger’s office has shown little interest in investigating these votes. This raises concerns about the accuracy of Sterling’s claim.
Sterling went on to claim that Georgia and Michigan are considered the best states in terms of list maintenance practices. However, he failed to provide any evidence to support this statement. When asked about the evidence, the communications director for the National Association of Secretaries of State declined to comment, stating that they do not rank the effectiveness of state election administration policies and procedures.
Raffensperger’s Team Blames the ‘Constraints of the Law’ for Lackluster List Maintenance
In 2021, I provided the secretary of state with nearly 35,000 voter records for investigation. These records raised concerns about the eligibility of voters in the 2020 general election due to residency issues. Despite initially agreeing to open an investigation, Raffensperger’s office has made no progress in addressing these concerns. They have cited the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) as a reason for their inaction, claiming that the law limits their ability to address residency concerns.
Sterling echoed this sentiment during the hearing, blaming federal laws for hindering their list maintenance efforts. While he is correct in criticizing the NVRA, it does not absolve his office of responsibility.
Sterling attempted to downplay my testimony regarding voters with mismatched residency records. He acknowledged that there are individuals who are not in the right place, but argued that data matching can result in false positives and lead to legal issues. He claimed that they are doing the best they can within the constraints of the law.
However, the question remains: is the secretary of state truly doing everything possible within the confines of the law?
Why Hasn’t Raffensperger Investigated Thousands of Suspect Votes from 2020 Yet?
In May 2021, Raffensperger’s office agreed to investigate nearly 35,000 votes with residency issues. However, it appears that no actual investigation took place, despite data suggesting the presence of thousands of unlawful ballots in the 2020 general election. In my subsequent analysis, I discovered around 25,000 potential violations in the 2022 general election. Unless action is taken, we can expect similar issues in the upcoming 2024 general election.
When a voter informs the USPS of a permanent move to a new location but then returns to their previous county to vote, falsely claiming residency, it raises serious concerns. Apart from potential violations of residency laws, this behavior is a violation of the Prohibited Acts section of the Voting Rights Act and Georgia state laws. Despite these issues, the secretary of state’s office has shown reluctance to conduct a thorough investigation into these potential violations.
Even when individuals admitted on the news that they had moved and evidence indicated they voted in their previous counties, Sterling dismissed the issue and made excuses for their conduct.
During the hearing, election lawyer Brad Carver and Fulton County election integrity advocate Jason Frazier also highlighted list maintenance issues in Georgia. They pointed out the improbability of having 79.9 percent of Fulton County’s population registered to vote and the presence of counties with more than 100 percent of the voting age population registered to vote.
Frazier identified voters improperly registered at commercial mail receiving agencies, missing addresses, and deceased individuals still on the rolls. These findings raise further concerns about the integrity of Georgia’s elections.
The potential violations I brought to the secretary of state’s attention were the same ones raised by the Trump team in their phone call with Raffensperger. It seems that Raffensperger is unwilling to acknowledge the legitimacy of these concerns or conduct a proper investigation that could provide evidence.
While investigating nearly 35,000 cases may seem daunting, I am not advocating for felony charges against thousands of Georgia voters. However, conducting even a random sample investigation and acknowledging the magnitude of the issue would be a step towards addressing the problem. If the secretary of state continues to make excuses, the integrity of the 2024 election will be compromised.
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Why does the absence of supporting evidence for Georgia’s claim of having the cleanest voter list undermine the credibility of Gabriel Sterling’s assertion?
Title: Doubts Arise about the Accuracy of Georgia’s “Cleanest Voter List” Claim
Introduction:
During a recent Georgia Senate Ethics Committee hearing on the state of Georgia’s voter rolls, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office, boldly claimed that Georgia has the cleanest voter list in the United States. However, as someone who has uncovered potential issues with Georgia’s voter rolls, I have serious doubts about Sterling’s assertion. This article will shed light on the concerns surrounding the accuracy of Georgia’s voter list and the lack of action taken to address these concerns.
Questionable Residency Votes and Lack of Investigation:
At the hearing, I testified about the discovery of thousands of potentially invalid votes cast by individuals with questionable residency. Despite this evidence, Raffensperger’s office has shown little interest in investigating these votes, raising doubts about the accuracy of Sterling’s claim. The lack of investigation into these potential violations raises concerns about the integrity of Georgia’s voter rolls.
Claims of Best Practices without Evidence:
Sterling also claimed that Georgia and Michigan are considered the best states in terms of list maintenance practices. However, he failed to provide any evidence to support this statement. When questioned about the evidence, the communications director for the National Association of Secretaries of State declined to comment, stating that they do not rank the effectiveness of state election administration policies and procedures. The absence of supporting evidence undermines the credibility of Sterling’s claim.
Blaming Legal Constraints:
Raffensperger’s team, including Sterling, blames the constraints of the law for their lackluster list maintenance efforts. They argue that federal laws, particularly the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), limit their ability to address residency concerns effectively. While it is valid to criticize the NVRA, it does not absolve their office of responsibility. The question remains: Is the secretary of state truly doing everything possible within the confines of the law?
Failure to Investigate Suspect Votes:
In May 2021, Raffensperger’s office agreed to investigate nearly 35,000 votes with residency issues. However, it appears that no actual investigation took place, despite data suggesting the presence of thousands of unlawful ballots in the 2020 general election. My subsequent analysis discovered around 25,000 potential violations in the 2022 general election. Unless action is taken, similar issues can be expected in the upcoming 2024 general election.
Violation of Residency Laws and Voting Rights Act:
When a voter falsely claims residency by informing the USPS of a permanent move to a new location but then returns to vote in their previous county, serious concerns arise. Apart from potential violations of residency laws, this behavior is also a violation of the Prohibited Acts section of the Voting Rights Act. The failure to address these violations undermines the integrity of the election process.
Conclusion:
The claims of Georgia having the cleanest voter list and being among the best states in terms of list maintenance practices are met with doubt due to the lack of evidence, failure to investigate suspect votes, and a blaming of legal constraints. The integrity of Georgia’s voter rolls needs to be ensured to maintain the trust of the electorate. It is essential for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office to address the concerns raised and take appropriate action to maintain the accuracy and fairness of Georgia’s elections.
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