Statewide Review Of Absentee Ballot Signature Matches Aided By University Of Georgia
Raffensperger Says The Statewide Review’s Aim Is To Increase Confidence In Absentee Voting.
The Center Square [By Nyamekye Daniel]-
University of Georgia researchers will help the state conduct a review of absentee voting signatures from the 2020 presidential election.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the statewide review is aimed at increasing confidence in the absentee voting process.
“We are confident that elections in Georgia are secure, reliable and effective,” Raffensperger said. “Despite endless lawsuits and wild allegations from Washington, D.C., pundits, we have seen no actual evidence of widespread voter fraud, though we are investigating all credible reports. Nonetheless, we look forward to working with the University of Georgia on this signature match review to further instill confidence in Georgia’s voting systems.”
Bombarded with claims of voting fraud, mostly from President Donald Trump’s campaign and supporters, Georgia election officials have conducted two recounts of the Nov. 3 presidential results. Trump has made numerous demands on Twitter for a review of the state’s signature matches, and at least one lawsuit was filed to block the certification of the results because of the process. Gov. Brian Kemp and other GOP lawmakers have called on Raffensperger to conduct a signature audit.
Raffensperger said Tuesday the secretary of state’s office would partner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a signature match audit in Cobb County after allegations county election workers had not adequately conducted signature matching on absentee ballot applications before the June primary.
The UGA study will be “forward-thinking,” focused on future elections, Raffensperger said.
Raffensperger has asked the UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs to launch a randomized study of how counties handled election materials in the presidential race. Researchers will review the counties’ signature matching processes, including a study of a sample of signed envelopes in each county from the presidential election.
