Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s elections chief, is pushing back against a plan that would bring back old-school vote counting methods. This latest clash echoes past controversies in the state’s election system.
The State Election Board is eyeing a new rule that would make poll workers count ballots by hand on Election Day. But Raffensperger isn’t having it.
“This idea is way off base,” Raffensperger said in a strongly worded statement. He warned the plan could throw a wrench in the works of Georgia’s voting system.
Raffensperger’s stance brings to mind his actions during the heated 2020 election. Back then, supporters of then-President Donald Trump called on him to verify signatures on mail-in ballots. They claimed this would uncover fraud. Instead, Raffensperger chose to recount the votes as they stood.
Many conservatives felt let down by this move. They argued that simply recounting ballots didn’t address worries about whether those votes were valid in the first place.
The current push for hand-counting comes from Sharlene Alexander, who helps run elections in Fayette County. She says it’s how things used to be done before state officials changed the rules in 2022.
Under the proposed system, three poll workers would team up to count votes. They’d sort ballots into stacks of 50, keeping at it until their count matched the voting machine’s tally.
But Raffensperger argues this method flies in the face of what state lawmakers want. He points to a law passed by Georgia’s General Assembly that aims for quick, efficient vote reporting.
“Our representatives passed S.B. 202 for a reason,” Raffensperger explained. “They know fast results help build trust in our elections.”
Some see the hand-counting proposal as a way to boost confidence in the system. They argue it could help prevent the kind of doubts that surfaced in 2020.
The State Election Board, made up of four Republicans and one Democrat, will make their final decision on August 19. Their choice could reshape how Georgia tallies votes in future elections.
As the Peach State gears up for upcoming votes, this debate highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing accuracy, speed, and public trust in the electoral process.
