The lawyer for Georgia’s secretary of state defended the state’s election laws Thursday, saying they ensure secure and fair results.
Appearing before a hearing with Georgia senators, Ryan Germany, general counsel for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, attempted to bolster confidence before the Jan. 5 Senate runoff contest, which will determine if Republicans or Democrats control the upper chamber.
He said they are looking into 250 complaints of fraud, noting law enforcement will probe specific allegations — not just “feelings” of disliking the outcome of an election.
Mr. Germany said many of the 250 ongoing investigations include scrutiny of signatures for mail-in votes, but he added there’s no evidence that the wrong winner was declared.
“Many of those will include a signature match or a signature audit of the voters’ absentee ballot application and their vote on file,” he said.
Georgia’s Senate Study Committee on Government Oversight held a hearing Thursday morning to address concerns about absentee ballot fraud that have been raised by President Trump and his supporters.
The president’s campaign has asked for a signature audit for absentee ballots in the swing state, but thus far Georgia officials have not agreed. Mr. Trump’s team alleges that between 38,250 and 45,626 mail-in ballots were cast unlawfully.
The state conducted a hand recount, which did not flip the election results. Mr. Trump’s campaign has subsequently requested another recount, which is underway.
Mr. Germany said the hand recount was almost identical to the machine results, defending the state’s voting software, which has come under scrutiny.
Pro-Trump attorneys have filed lawsuits in several states, including Georgia, about the use of Dominion Voting Sytems, saying the voting machines are easily manipulated and not secure. The company has denied any wrongdoing in the 2020 election and has called the lawsuits baseless.
Presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in Georgia by about 12,600 votes or a 0.2% margin. The state’s certification awards Mr. Biden the state’s 16 electoral votes.
Mr. Germany told lawmakers the state has laws banning ballot harvesting, and requiring absentee ballots be requested through a secure online portal that involves checks for identification and citizenship.
He also noted there is a double signature match requirement in the process.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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