The Center Square [By Nyamekye Daniel]-
President Donald Trump said Monday that Georgia’s recount is pointless without a review of the state’s signature match process. One of his supporters sued the secretary of state and election board over it.
Atlanta attorney Lin Wood filed a lawsuit to block the certification of the state’s election results.
Wood alleges that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and election board members violated the U.S. Constitution and state code when they signed a settlement agreement with Democrats that requires more than one election worker to review the ballot’s signature before it is rejected.
“The recount in GA is a sham. Just like the backroom deal @GaSecofState made with Democrats & Clinton lawyers to change absentee ballot rules,” Wood wrote on Twitter Monday afternoon. “Only [the] Legislature can change rules.”
Wood’s lawsuit filed Friday states Raffensperger and four members of the Georgia State Election Board, who are named, did not have the authority to add new rules or regulations to the state’s election process. That right is reserved for the General Assembly, the lawsuit states. Raffensperger committed to a legal settlement with the Democratic Party of Georgia in March that includes the second layer of signature screening.
The agreement was penned after Democrats sued the state in November 2019. Democrats alleged more than 8,000 ballots were thrown out for signature issues in the 2018 general election.
Wood’s lawsuit argues the extra review process violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and citizens’ right to a fair election because the rule was created in favor of one political party.
As an attorney, Wood is known for representing the parents of slain child pageant star JonBenét Ramsey and Richard Jewell, the security guard wrongly accused of being the 1996 Summer Olympics bomber. He is being represented by Ray Smith III of Smith & Liss, LLC. Georgia State Election Board Vice Chair Rebecca Sullivan and members David Worley, Matthew Mashburn, and Anh Le are the named defendants.
Trump called on Gov. Brian Kemp Monday to take action against the signature match agreement.
“Georgia won’t let us look at the all important signature match. Without that the recount is MEANINGLESS,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Open up unconstitutional Consent Decree, NOW! @BrianKempGA”
Raffensperger said on Facebook Sunday he has advocated for better absentee ballot safeguards while in his position as overseer of the state’s elections.
“My team secured and strengthened absentee ballots for the first time since 2005,” Raffensperger said. “We strengthened signature match. We helped train election officials on GBI [Georgia Bureau of Investigations] signature match – which is confirmed twice before a ballot is ever cast.”
Raffensperger announced last week that statewide recount of the presidential election results would occur. His office predicts the final tallies will be completed by Wednesday.
