‘We Have Proof In Our Own Home’; Raffensperger Renews Warning To Voter Registration Groups
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is warning voter registration groups about contacting voters who have moved out of state or have died.
Emil Moffatt/WABE
Updated Wednesday at 1:53 p.m.
Displaying three postcards sent to his late son, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger renewed warnings to groups attempting to register voters for the Jan. 5 runoff elections.
The secretary of state’s office has issued stern warnings to these groups, claiming that they’re making it easier for people to commit voter fraud by sending voter registration or absentee ballot applications to those who’ve long since moved or passed away.
At least one group claims they’re using data provided by the state of Georgia, but Raffensperger says that doesn’t add up.
“It’s to my son, Brenton J. Raffensperger, who passed away almost 2 ½ years ago. He’s not on our voter files here in Georgia, we checked,” said Raffensperger.
The secretary of state’s office has opened an investigation into a handful of groups, including the New Georgia Project, whose return address was listed on the postcards sent to Raffensperger’s son.
“What they say, can’t be supported by the facts on the ground,” said Raffenspeger. “We have proof in our own home.”
Interest is high in the Jan. 5 runoffs with both Georgia U.S. Senate seats at stake and control of the upper chamber overall.
Voters have until Dec. 7 to register to vote in the runoffs.
The executive director of the New Georgia Project, Nsé Ufot, told WABE’s Closer Look on Wednesday that it’s not her group’s responsibility to check voters’ eligibility.
“It’s the job of the county board of elections officials and the job of the secretary of state to verify people’s eligibility,” said Ufot. “We’re community organizers so we go out and we ask people if they’re eligible to vote and if they say ‘yes’ then we are registering them.”
She said her organization has not been contacted by investigators with the secretary of state’s office.
“The idea that we have the interest, the desire and quite frankly the resources to register anybody but Georgians is ridiculous,” she said.
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