Misinformation surrounding early voting in Georgia has come under scrutiny, particularly from Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. In response, Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, is setting the record straight about the state’s election integrity.
During a recent interview with NewsNation, Raffensperger addressed Greene’s claims about voting irregularities in Whitfield County. Greene suggested that there were problems with voting machines, stating in a post on X that one “voter’s printed ballot had been changed from their selections made on the machine.” Such statements, according to Raffensperger, not only misrepresent the facts but could also negatively impact voter turnout among Republicans.
“Spreading stories like that really hurt our turnout on our side,” Raffensperger stated, emphasizing that voters can have confidence in the election results. He warned that Greene’s tactics might be “self-defeating,” suggesting that if Republicans truly believed widespread voter fraud was occurring, they might be disinclined to vote at all.
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This situation echoes a trend observed in the 2021 elections, where one in six Republicans reported feeling less inclined to vote in the 2022 midterms due to a lack of “forensic audits” on the 2020 election results, as highlighted by the Center for Election Innovation and Research.
In contrast to Greene’s claims, recent reports indicate that Whitfield County has experienced a record turnout of over 7,500 votes since the polls opened last week. Raffensperger clarified during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation that the incident Greene referenced stemmed from a voter error. He explained that a woman believed she had selected a certain option on the machine, but upon printing her ballot, noticed a discrepancy. After bringing it to officials’ attention, the issue was promptly corrected.
Raffensperger reassured voters that there have been no significant problems with the voting machines. Election officials have consistently maintained that the integrity of the election process in Georgia remains intact.
By confronting Greene’s misinformation head-on, Raffensperger aims to uphold the trust of Georgia voters and reinforce the importance of participating in elections based on accurate information.
