WEATHER ALERT
Justice Department instructed to dismiss legal challenge to Georgia election law
Read full article: Justice Department instructed to dismiss legal challenge to Georgia election lawU.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed the Justice Department to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a sweeping 2021 election law in Georgia.
Trump's executive order on elections is far-reaching. But will it actually stick?
Read full article: Trump's executive order on elections is far-reaching. But will it actually stick?President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking broad changes to how elections are run in the U.S. is vast in scope and holds the potential to reorder the voting landscape across the country, even as it faces almost certain litigation.
Judge says Fani Willis violated open records law, orders her to pay $54K in attorneys' fees
Read full article: Judge says Fani Willis violated open records law, orders her to pay $54K in attorneys' feesA judge has ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to pay more than $54,000 in attorneys’ fees and to turn over documents after finding that her office violated Georgia’s Open Records Act.
GOP pushes ahead with citizenship voting bill. Some state election officials say it's problematic
Read full article: GOP pushes ahead with citizenship voting bill. Some state election officials say it's problematicThe centerpiece election legislation from congressional Republicans would require voters to prove their citizenship when registering.
Senate confirms Kelly Loeffler, former Georgia senator, to lead Small Business Administration
Read full article: Senate confirms Kelly Loeffler, former Georgia senator, to lead Small Business AdministrationThe U.S. Senate has confirmed Kelly Loeffler, a Georgia businesswoman and former senator, to lead the Small Business Administration.
Appeals court upholds dismissal of some charges against Trump, others in Georgia election case
Read full article: Appeals court upholds dismissal of some charges against Trump, others in Georgia election caseA Georgia appeals court has upheld the dismissal of some of the charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in the Georgia 2020 election interference case.
Fani Willis seeks to overturn her disqualification from Trump Georgia election case
Read full article: Fani Willis seeks to overturn her disqualification from Trump Georgia election caseFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked Georgia’s highest court to review a lower appeals court’s ruling that removed her from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others.
Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen
Read full article: Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happenRepublicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Certifying this year's presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
Read full article: Certifying this year's presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 electionLocal officials are beginning to certify the results of this year’s presidential election in a process that so far has been playing out quietly, in stark contrast to the tumultuous certification period four years ago that followed then-President Donald Trump’s loss.
FBI links video falsely depicting voter fraud in Georgia to 'Russian influence actors'
Read full article: FBI links video falsely depicting voter fraud in Georgia to 'Russian influence actors'U_S_ intelligence officials say a video that purports to show election fraud in Georgia is fake and the work of “Russian influence actors."
A federal judge rejects a call to reopen voter registration in Georgia after Hurricane Helene
Read full article: A federal judge rejects a call to reopen voter registration in Georgia after Hurricane HeleneA federal judge won’t order the state of Georgia to reopen voter registration for November’s elections in the presidential battleground state.
Lawsuit seeks to reopen voter registration in Georgia after Hurricane Helene
Read full article: Lawsuit seeks to reopen voter registration in Georgia after Hurricane HeleneThree voting rights groups are asking a federal judge to order the state of Georgia to reopen voter registration for November’s elections.
Georgia court rejects counting presidential votes for Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz
Read full article: Georgia court rejects counting presidential votes for Cornel West and Claudia De la CruzGeorgia's Supreme Court says presidential candidates Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz aren't qualified to be on the state's ballots and votes for them should not count.
Georgia court could reject counting presidential votes for Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz
Read full article: Georgia court could reject counting presidential votes for Cornel West and Claudia De la CruzGeorgia Supreme Court justices are expressing skepticism that votes for presidential candidates Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz should count.
Georgia election rule changes by Trump allies raise fear of chaos in November
Read full article: Georgia election rule changes by Trump allies raise fear of chaos in NovemberThe state that handed former President Donald Trump one of his narrowest losses four years ago is immersed in election controversies even before the first ballots of this year’s presidential race are cast.
Data indicates voting by noncitizens is rare. Republicans are pressing measures to make sure of it
Read full article: Data indicates voting by noncitizens is rare. Republicans are pressing measures to make sure of itFederal law already allows only U.S. citizens to vote in elections for president and Congress.
Judge says 4 independent and third-party candidates should be kept off Georgia presidential ballots
Read full article: Judge says 4 independent and third-party candidates should be kept off Georgia presidential ballotsA judge says four independent and third-party candidates are ineligible to appear on Georgia’s presidential ballot.
Georgia officials say Kennedy, 2 others have signatures for presidential ballot as disputes remain
Read full article: Georgia officials say Kennedy, 2 others have signatures for presidential ballot as disputes remainThree independent and third-party candidates got one step closer to appearing on Georgia’s presidential ballot on Tuesday.
Georgia website that lets people cancel voter registrations briefly displayed personal data
Read full article: Georgia website that lets people cancel voter registrations briefly displayed personal dataGeorgia election officials are encouraging people to use a state website to cancel voter registrations when someone moves out of state or dies.
Georgia Republicans choose Amy Kremer, organizer of pro-Trump Jan. 6 rally, for seat on the RNC
Read full article: Georgia Republicans choose Amy Kremer, organizer of pro-Trump Jan. 6 rally, for seat on the RNCGeorgia Republicans have elected to the Republican National Committee a conservative activist who helped organize the pro-Donald Trump rally on Jan. 6, 2021.
A group of Republicans has united to defend the legitimacy of US elections and those who run them
Read full article: A group of Republicans has united to defend the legitimacy of US elections and those who run themRepublican officials who believe in the legitimacy of elections have formed a group that's pushing back on the election lies and conspiracy theories that have persuaded a large share of their party that elections can't be trusted.
Website warning of cyberattack in Georgia’s largest county removed after it confused some voters
Read full article: Website warning of cyberattack in Georgia’s largest county removed after it confused some votersOfficials in Georgia's most populous county have removed a banner from their website warning of an “unexpected IT outage” after it created confusion on the final day of voting for the presidential primary.
Conservative group tells judge it has no evidence to back its claims of Georgia ballot stuffing
Read full article: Conservative group tells judge it has no evidence to back its claims of Georgia ballot stuffingA conservative group that claimed to uncover a ballot stuffing scheme in Georgia has told a judge it has no evidence to back up its allegations.
Federal judges rule against provisions of GOP-backed voting laws in Georgia and Texas
Read full article: Federal judges rule against provisions of GOP-backed voting laws in Georgia and TexasFederal judges in Georgia and Texas are putting on hold provisions of two controversial laws passed as part of a GOP push to tighten voting regulations.
Georgia elections official to speak to federal prosecutors probing Trump's efforts to undo 2020 loss
Read full article: Georgia elections official to speak to federal prosecutors probing Trump's efforts to undo 2020 lossGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is scheduled to speak to federal prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith's office.
Georgia officials lay out obstacles to updating election system before 2024
Read full article: Georgia officials lay out obstacles to updating election system before 2024Georgia election officials say they would need six to nine months to install new software and hardware to update the state’s voting system.
Judge to release parts of Georgia special grand jury report
Read full article: Judge to release parts of Georgia special grand jury reportA Georgia judge has ordered the partial release later this week of a report by a special grand jury that investigated efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Key Republican wants Ga. as early primary state — in 2028
Read full article: Key Republican wants Ga. as early primary state — in 2028Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wants his state to become an early presidential primary host — just not in 2024, as President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party are pushing.
Federal effort to boost election worker protections fizzles
Read full article: Federal effort to boost election worker protections fizzlesFederal proposals that would have significantly boosted security funding for election offices and heightened penalties for threatening their staff failed to advance this year.
EXPLAINER: How Trump ignored advisers, spread election lies
Read full article: EXPLAINER: How Trump ignored advisers, spread election liesThe executive summary of the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee’s report documents how then-President Donald Trump was repeatedly warned by those closest to him that claims he had lost his reelection due to fraud were false.
Trump probe subpoena served on Georgia secretary of state
Read full article: Trump probe subpoena served on Georgia secretary of stateNevada’s most populous county and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have received subpoenas related to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of former President Donald Trump.
Georgia court declines to halt Saturday early runoff voting
Read full article: Georgia court declines to halt Saturday early runoff votingA Georgia appeals court ruling means that counties can offer early voting this coming Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.
Democrats sue for Saturday voting in Georgia Senate runoff
Read full article: Democrats sue for Saturday voting in Georgia Senate runoffU.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s campaign and Democratic groups are suing the state of Georgia to overturn guidance by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that counties can’t offer Saturday voting ahead of next month’s Senate runoff election.
Appeals court: Graham must testify in Georgia election probe
Read full article: Appeals court: Graham must testify in Georgia election probeA federal appeals court says U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia.
What's the 'speech or debate' clause cited in Georgia probe?
Read full article: What's the 'speech or debate' clause cited in Georgia probe?U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is citing the “speech or debate” clause of the Constitution as he tries to avoid testifying before a special grand jury that’s investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others tried to illegally influence the 2020 election in Georgia.
Sen. Graham challenges 2020 Georgia election probe subpoena
Read full article: Sen. Graham challenges 2020 Georgia election probe subpoenaU.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is challenging a subpoena to testify before a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others broke any laws when they tried to overturn Joe Biden’s win in Georgia.
Georgia's Raffensperger among witnesses for next 1/6 hearing
Read full article: Georgia's Raffensperger among witnesses for next 1/6 hearingThe House Jan. 6 committee is expected to hear testimony from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about the extraordinary pressure he faced from former President Donald Trump to “find 11,780” votes that could flip the state to prevent Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump election probe grand jury to hear from Raffensperger
Read full article: Trump election probe grand jury to hear from RaffenspergerGeorgia’s top elections official has entered a courthouse in Atlanta where he was summoned to appear before a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to meddle in the 2020 election.
Takeaways: Trump's big defeat; election denial backfiring
Read full article: Takeaways: Trump's big defeat; election denial backfiringFormer President Donald Trump’s crusade for vengeance suffered two devastating blows when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won their primaries despite rejecting Trump’s entreaties to reverse his 2020 election loss.
2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhere
Read full article: 2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhereGeorgia takes center stage in Tuesday’s primary elections as Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger try to fight back challengers endorsed by Donald Trump.
Georgia Republicans spar over Trump's false election claims
Read full article: Georgia Republicans spar over Trump's false election claimsGeorgia Republicans vying for the state's top elections post sparred Monday over former President Donald Trump's false claim that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election.
Marjorie Taylor Greene hostile in testimony over eligibility
Read full article: Marjorie Taylor Greene hostile in testimony over eligibilityU.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was hostile during testimony in a hearing on her eligibility to run for reelection, saying she did not remember liking and making various social media posts surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol last year.
Georgia DA asks for special grand jury in election probe
Read full article: Georgia DA asks for special grand jury in election probeThe Georgia prosecutor investigating possible attempts to interfere in the 2020 general election by former President Donald Trump and others has asked for a special grand jury to aid the investigation.
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Records show pressure by Trump, allies on Arizona officials
Read full article: Records show pressure by Trump, allies on Arizona officialsNewly released records show the top Republicans in Arizona’s largest county dodged calls from Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of the 2020 election, as the then-president sought to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in key battleground states.
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Georgia to review county's ballot drop box forms from 2020
Read full article: Georgia to review county's ballot drop box forms from 2020Georgia’s secretary of state says his office is reviewing the handling of paperwork related to ballot drop boxes in the state’s most populous county during last year’s election.
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Georgia's new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits
Read full article: Georgia's new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Critics of Georgia's new Republican-backed election law issued fresh calls Monday to boycott some of the state’s largest businesses for not speaking out more forcefully against the law, a day after advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging it. The new election law was signed Thursday by Republican Gov. It also bans people from handing out food or water to voters waiting in line and allows the Republican-controlled State Election Board to remove and replace county election officials. “Georgia’s Election Integrity Act that I signed into law expands early voting and secures our vote-by-mail system to protect the integrity of our elections,” Kemp said in a recent tweet. But he said he does not support provisions that remove him as the chair of the State Election Board and replaces him with an appointee of the state legislature.
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Trump endorses challenger against Georgia elections chief
Read full article: Trump endorses challenger against Georgia elections chief(Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)ATLANTA – Former President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed a conservative Georgia congressman in his bid to unseat the Republican secretary of state who refused to help overturn the November election results. “Unlike the current Georgia Secretary of State, Jody leads out front with integrity. “Few have done more to cynically undermine faith in our election system than Jody Hice," Raffensperger said. “Every Georgian, in fact every American, has the right to be outraged by the actions and, simultaneously, the inaction of our Secretary of State,” Hice added. He was among the many Republican officials in Georgia who relentlessly pushed Trump’s false claims of voter fraud last fall.
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Georgia GOP leaders who stood up to Trump back voting bills
Read full article: Georgia GOP leaders who stood up to Trump back voting billsBoth men say they support Georgia Republicans' efforts to enact an ID requirement for absentee voting that would do away with the state's signature matching system, which Trump heavily attacked. As Trump disputed Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia, Raffensperger argued the election was accurate and fair. A recorded conversation between Trump and Raffensperger leaked to media, allowing the public to hear Trump pressure Raffensperger and his office to “find 11,000-plus votes” to reverse Biden’s win. The House version, which passed Monday on a party-line vote, would require a photo ID for absentee voting and limit the number of weekend days counties can schedule early voting, among many other changes. The Senate bill would limit absentee voting to just seniors, people with disabilities and people who’ll be out of town.
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Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump call urges patience
Read full article: Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump call urges patienceHer office confirmed that the probe includes a call in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s win in the state. Following the November general election, Trump refused to accept his loss by about 12,000 votes in Georgia, long a Republican stronghold. In a Jan. 2 telephone conversation with Raffensperger, Trump repeatedly suggested Raffensperger could change the certified results of the presidential election, an assertion the secretary of state firmly rejected. “BJay” Pak, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Atlanta, was a “never-Trumper” — a term often used for conservative critics of Trump. That’s just logical.”Prior to his call with Raffensperger, Trump tried unsuccessfully to pressure others in Georgia.
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Correction: Georgia Election-Investigation story
Read full article: Correction: Georgia Election-Investigation storyGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, right, walks to his office in the Capitol Building Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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Georgia election officials investigate Trump call
Read full article: Georgia election officials investigate Trump callGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, right, walks to his office in the Capitol Building Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. “The Secretary of State’s office investigates complaints it receives. Trump had refused to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden and focused much of his attention on Georgia, a traditionally red state that he narrowly lost. During the Jan. 2 phone call, Trump repeatedly argued that Raffensperger could change the certified results, an assertion the secretary of state firmly rejected. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, said in a statement that there was “nothing improper or untoward about a scheduled call between President Trump, Secretary Raffensperger and lawyers on both sides.”Investigators will present their findings to the state election board, which will then decide how to proceed.
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President Trump pressured Georgia to ‘find the fraud’ in earlier call
Read full article: President Trump pressured Georgia to ‘find the fraud’ in earlier callIt occurred as election officials were conducting an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in Cobb County. Trump pressed the investigator to look into Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold that contains most of Atlanta. AdVarious election officials across the country and Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. During another call in early December, Trump pressed Georgia Gov. In last week’s call with Raffensperger, Trump urged the secretary of state to change the certified results.
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Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority
Read full article: Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majorityATLANTA – Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the party's reach. Warnock, 51, acknowledged his improbable victory in a message to supporters early Wednesday, citing his family’s experience with poverty. Trump's claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, while meritless, resonated with Republican voters in Georgia. AP VoteCast found that 6 in 10 Georgia voters say Senate party control was the most important factor in their vote. “I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten.
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GA election officials reject Trump call to 'find' more votes
Read full article: GA election officials reject Trump call to 'find' more votesThe Republican president, who has refused to accept his loss to Democratic President-elect Biden, repeatedly argued that Raffensperger could change the certified results. Because we won the state," said Trump, who is scheduled to be at a rally in Georgia Monday evening. “President Trump, we’ve had several lawsuits, and we’ve had to respond in court to the lawsuits and the contentions," Raffensperger told Trump on the call. “To say that I am troubled by President Trump’s attempt to manipulate the votes of Georgians would be an understatement,” Worley wrote. Raffensperger’s Twitter response: “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true.
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Trump, on tape, presses Ga. official to 'find' him votes
Read full article: Trump, on tape, presses Ga. official to 'find' him votesI just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have," Trump said. The Associated Press obtained the full audio of Trump’s conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. Trump has repeatedly attacked how Raffensperger conducted Georgia’s elections, claiming without evidence that the state’s 16 electoral votes were wrongly given to Biden. “He has no clue!” Trump tweeted of Raffensperger, saying the state official “was unwilling, or unable” to answer questions. Raffensperger’s Twitter response: “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true.
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Georgia governor pushes back on Trump's call for resignation
Read full article: Georgia governor pushes back on Trump's call for resignationTrump said earlier in the day that Kemp, a fellow Republican, was an “obstructionist who refuses to admit that we won Georgia, BIG!" Investigators who audited the signatures on more than 15,000 absentee ballot envelopes in one Georgia county found “no fraudulent absentee ballots,” according to the audit report. Before submitting an absentee ballot, a voter must sign an oath on an outer envelope. When county election officials receive an absentee ballot, they must compare the signature to the absentee ballot application if one exists and to the signature on file. If the signature does match, the ballot is separated from the envelope to protect the right to ballot secrecy guaranteed by Georgia law.
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Georgia high court rejects latest Trump election appeal
Read full article: Georgia high court rejects latest Trump election appealATLANTA – President Donald Trump has lost his latest legal challenge seeking to overturn Georgia's election results, with the state Supreme Court's rejection late Saturday of a case from Trump's campaign and Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer. The case was subsequently appealed directly to the state Supreme Court, asking justices to consider the case before Monday’s meeting of the Electoral College. It’s the latest legal setback in the president’s efforts to overturn the election results. In Georgia, he has rained criticism on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Last week, Raffensberger again recertified the state’s election results after a recount requested by Trump confirmed once again that Biden won the state, and the governor then recertified the state’s 16 presidential electors.
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GOP voters ready for Georgia runoffs despite Trump's claims
Read full article: GOP voters ready for Georgia runoffs despite Trump's claimsMany Republican voters in Georgia are angry; certain that widespread voter fraud claims of which are baseless cost President Donald Trump the election. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)ATLANTA – Many Republican voters in Georgia are angry. They're convinced that widespread voter fraud — claims that are baseless — cost President Donald Trump the election to Democrat Joe Biden. But interviews with voters and party activists in the state suggest there's little sign that Trump's voters are planning to stay home in protest. Jeanne Seaver, a Republican activist in Georgia who worked on Trump's 2016 campaign, said she believes that Republican voters will still come out to support Perdue and Loeffler despite the anger on the ground.
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Georgia secretary of state wins praise from Schwarzenegger
Read full article: Georgia secretary of state wins praise from SchwarzeneggerATLANTA – Georgia’s secretary of state has received death threats over his handling of last month’s election, but he's found a fan in Arnold Schwarzenegger. The call was organized by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger explained to Raffensperger that the institute plans to bestow Democracy Action Hero awards next week over Zoom. The institute has received more requests for polling center grants from Georgia than from any other state and has invested $1.4 million in grants for polling sites in the state, Schwarzenegger said. He thanked Raffensperger for not standing in the way of opening more polling sites, saying election officials in some states have rejected their efforts.
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Georgia again certifies election results showing Biden won
Read full article: Georgia again certifies election results showing Biden wonATLANTA – Georgia's top elections official on Monday recertified the state's election results after a recount requested by President Donald Trump confirmed once again that Democrat Joe Biden won the state, and the governor then recertified the state's 16 presidential electors. Since the results of a recount become the official results, those counties had to recertify their results. After the initial count following Election Day, Raffensperger selected the presidential race for an audit required by state law. Fulton County's recount results showed 880 fewer votes than the results certified after election night, with an overwhelming majority of those votes coming from Biden’s total in the county. The suit alleged widespread fraud and sought to decertify the results of the presidential race in Georgia, among other things.
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Georgia GOP seeks mail-in ballot changes after Biden's win
Read full article: Georgia GOP seeks mail-in ballot changes after Biden's winRepublicans are zeroing in on a plan to require a photo ID for ballots cast by mail. Brian Kemp, both Republicans who have been publicly lambasted by Trump, have joined the push to require a photo ID for absentee voting. She said that while signature matches provide some security for mail-in ballots, the process should be shored up. Democrats and voting rights groups have for years sought to decrease rejections of absentee ballots in Georgia, arguing that minorities have been disproportionately affected. Absentee ballots are sometimes rejected because signatures on the outer envelope are deemed not to match signatures in the voter registration system, or because the envelope is not signed at all.
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Georgia elections official urges Trump to rein in supporters
Read full article: Georgia elections official urges Trump to rein in supportersIn this Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 photo, Gabriel Sterling a top Georgia elections official stands during a news conference, in Atlanta. On Tuesday Dec. 1, 2020, Sterling called on President Donald Trump to condemn supporters who have threatened violence against election officials. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – A top Georgia elections official on Tuesday lashed out angrily at the rhetoric surrounding the election and the threats of violence that have resulted, specifically calling on President Donald Trump to rein in his supporters. “Rigged Election,” Trump tweeted. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both issued statements Tuesday evening condemning violence but also criticizing election officials, according to news outlets.
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Georgia official announces investigations, defends election
Read full article: Georgia official announces investigations, defends electionATLANTA – Georgia's top elections official on Monday announced investigations into potential violations of election law even as he continued to defend the integrity of the state's election against what he said are baseless attacks. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference at the state Capitol that his office continues to investigate any credible claims of illegal voting and violations of state election law. President Donald Trump, who narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia, is among those criticizing the state's handling of the election. “America Votes has mailed registered voters in Georgia applications to safely and securely vote by mail in the January runoffs. After the initial count following Election Day, Raffensperger selected the presidential race for an audit required by state law.
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In Georgia, Republicans juggle Biden win and Trump loyalties
Read full article: In Georgia, Republicans juggle Biden win and Trump loyalties(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Twin Georgia Senate runoffs have Republicans in a quandary. They could admit President Donald Trump lost his re-election bid and turn all attention to salvaging a Senate majority to counter President-elect Joe Biden. “I’m here because I stand with President Donald Trump,” Pence declared in Gainesville, Georgia. Brian Kemp, himself a former Georgia secretary of state, on social media. The 60-year-old came to see Pence, Loeffler and both Perdues, but made clear she was there because of her loyalties to the president.
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Trump team requests recount of Georgia's presidential race
Read full article: Trump team requests recount of Georgia's presidential raceGeorgia's results showed Biden beating Trump by 12,670 votes out of about 5 million cast, or 0.25%. A Trump legal team statement said: “Today, the Trump campaign filed a petition for recount in Georgia. We are focused on ensuring that every aspect of Georgia State Law and the U.S. Constitution are followed so that every legal vote is counted. County election workers have already done a complete hand recount of all the votes cast in the presidential race. State law requires that one race be audited by hand to ensure that the machines counted the ballots accurately, and Raffensperger selected the presidential race.
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Georgia governor certifies presidential electors for Biden
Read full article: Georgia governor certifies presidential electors for BidenGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – Georgia's governor and top elections official on Friday certified results showing Joe Biden won the presidential race over Republican President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified results reported by the state’s 159 counties following a meticulous hand count of the 5 million ballots cast in the race. The results show Biden with 2.47 million votes, President Donald Trump with 2.46 million votes and Libertarian Jo Jorgensen with 62,138. Brian Kemp certified the state's slate of 16 presidential electors, his spokesman Cody Hall said.
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Georgia Gov. Kemp stays on sidelines of GOP election fight
Read full article: Georgia Gov. Kemp stays on sidelines of GOP election fightKemp, Georgia's top elected Republican, has staked out a position on the sidelines. Kemp has neither endorsed Trump's fraud claims nor backed Raffensperger in his assertion that the election was conducted fairly. He said he's concerned an escalating debate over the validity of Georgia's presidential election could hurt Republican turnout in January. “Governor Kemp will hopefully see the light before it is too late. Must finally take charge!” Trump tweeted Tuesday, referring to a poll that suggested Kemp's approval among Georgia voters was sagging.
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Deadline near for hand tally of presidential race in Georgia
Read full article: Deadline near for hand tally of presidential race in GeorgiaThe deadline for the counties to complete the audit was 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, ahead of the Friday deadline for state certification. Because of the close results, he said, a full hand recount would be needed to complete the audit. The actual number of rejected ballots was about 350% higher, but that matched the overall increase in absentee ballots, the release says. Two years ago, 454 absentee ballots were rejected out of 284,393. The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the presidential race in Georgia, where Biden led Trump by 0.3 percentage points.
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Georgia elections chief battles fellow Republicans, Trump
Read full article: Georgia elections chief battles fellow Republicans, TrumpGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. Georgia election officials have announced an audit of presidential election results that will trigger a full hand recount. “The secretary of state has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections,” GOP Sens. After the Trump campaign asked for a hand recount of all 5 million votes cast in Georgia, Raffensperger chose the presidential election for an audit, which Georgia law now requires for one statewide race each election cycle. Not shying away from the fact that he's a Republican, Raffensperger has said publicly that he wished Trump had won.
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Georgia official says Sen. Graham asked him about tossing ballots
Read full article: Georgia official says Sen. Graham asked him about tossing ballotsRaffensperger's comments came as election officials across the state were working to complete a hand recount of votes in the presidential race. County election board Chairman Tom Rees said it appears the ballots were cast during in-person early voting but election officials weren’t sure how they were missed. But the county had the paper ballots and caught the problem during the hand tally, he said. County election officials were instructed to complete the count by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. State election officials have said they wouldn't release any results from the tally until the whole process is complete.
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Masked workers start presidential hand tally in Georgia
Read full article: Masked workers start presidential hand tally in Georgia(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Masked election workers in teams of two began counting ballots Friday in counties across Georgia, a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by a new state law. Across the state, audit teams worked with batches of paper ballots, dividing them into piles for each candidate, before counting each pile by hand. Bipartisan panels were on hand to review certain ballots, including those where the auditors couldn't agree on the voter’s intent and those with write-in candidates. But critics have accused him of caving to Trump after the president's campaign and state Republicans requested a hand recount. Critics have also argued that a full hand recount was not intended under Georgia's audit requirement and imposes an unnecessarily heavy and expensive burden on county election officials.
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Georgia counties prepare for hand tally of presidential race
Read full article: Georgia counties prepare for hand tally of presidential raceATLANTA – As Georgia counties prepare for a hand tally of the presidential race, the state's top elections official planned to quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Thursday. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s wife, Tricia, tested positive on Thursday, the deputy secretary of state, Jordan Fuchs, told The Associated Press. An audit of one race is required by law but it's up to the secretary of state to choose the race. Sterling emphatically denied that the selection of the presidential race and subsequent decision to do a full hand count was the result of pressure from the president. Doing a hand count of the nearly 5 million votes cast in Georgia during the Nov. 3 election is a massive task.
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The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transit
Read full article: The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transitHealth officials had asked workers in central Auckland to stay home on Friday while they investigated the case but say they can now return to work. — Surge of coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in Germany and France, but still straining hospitals. Alaska has had over 20,000 cases, including 477 new cases reported Thursday. She is scheduled Friday to address the situation and is expected to announce new public health restrictions aimed to curbing spread. That’s the impassioned message that dozens of parents and school administrators are sending to public health officials in Pennsylvania’s third-most populous county.
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Georgia audit to trigger hand recount of presidential vote
Read full article: Georgia audit to trigger hand recount of presidential voteATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s secretary of state on Wednesday announced an audit of presidential election results that he said will trigger a full hand recount. It is up to Raffensperger to choose which race to audit. Raffensperger chose to audit the presidential race and said the tight margin means that the audit will result in a full hand recount. After results from the hand recount are certified, the losing campaign can then request another recount, which will be performed by scanners that would read and tally the votes, Raffensperger said. In addition to the audit of the presidential race, Raffensperger announced that he’s consolidating runoff elections.
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Georgia audit to trigger hand tally of presidential vote
Read full article: Georgia audit to trigger hand tally of presidential voteGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. Georgia election officials have announced an audit of presidential election results that will trigger a full hand recount. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference that the presidential race makes the most sense. Georgians cast nearly 5 million votes in the presidential race and counties have until Friday to certify their results. In addition to the audit of the presidential race, Raffensperger announced that he's consolidating runoff elections.