Brad Raffensperger holds the role of Georgia’s 29th Secretary of State, initially elected in 2018 and subsequently re-elected in 2022 with strong support. Raffensperger, a lifelong conservative Republican, relocated to Georgia four decades ago to establish his family and a small business venture.
As a licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer across 40 states, he successfully founded Tendon Systems, specializing in robust steel for construction.
His leadership expanded Tendon Systems into the Southeast’s largest post-tensioning specialist, operating in 40 states with an employee base of around 150. Raffensperger’s influence extended to the creation of Trillium Structures, a consulting firm focused on structural design for commercial projects across the southeastern region.
Raffensperger’s political journey began with his election to the Johns Creek, Georgia, City Council. Following this, he served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, after which he secured the position of Secretary of State following the 2018 election.
Safeguarding Georgia’s Electoral Integrity: A Comprehensive Health Check of Election Equipment
In preparation for the upcoming 2024 elections, Georgia is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the security and reliability of its election equipment.
A meticulous health check is currently underway in Columbus, involving rigorous testing and validation procedures. With election integrity under the spotlight, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger shed light on the state’s comprehensive approach to securing the electoral process.
Securing Equipment and Ensuring Accountability:
When questioned about the security of the election equipment, Secretary Raffensperger emphasized a multi-step process that includes logistics, testing, and parallel monitoring. The state is committed to guaranteeing each piece of equipment’s proper placement and functionality.
Ensuring both digital and physical security is of paramount importance. The secretary further explained that this meticulous evaluation culminates in the creation of a detailed report card.
This commitment to electoral security extends across all 159 counties of Georgia. The state’s rigorous procedures are aimed at verifying that no tampering has occurred. Secretary Raffensperger affirmed that the comprehensive process, involving various checks and safeguards, will be carried out by December.
Assessing County Preparedness:
When asked about the counties’ performance in the evaluation, Secretary Raffensperger explained that most counties are passing the assessments. He underscored that physical security remains a particular focus, with an emphasis on ensuring that county commissioners have sufficient resources to maintain equipment and infrastructure.
The secretary highlighted that while equipment across counties is being scrutinized, a meticulous verification process is ongoing to eliminate potential vulnerabilities.
Elections have become a battleground for conspiracy theories and political debates, a transformation that Secretary Raffensperger acknowledged. He noted that the job had changed significantly, with political contenders often searching for reasons to explain their losses.
However, he emphasized that the state’s approach has remained consistent—presenting facts and data to counter misinformation. Secretary Raffensperger proudly stated that Georgia’s past responses to allegations have been proven accurate and reliable.
Exploring Alternate Voting Methods:
In the midst of these debates, the question of paper ballots arose. Secretary Raffensperger expressed reservations about the idea of widespread hand-marked paper ballots.
He pointed out that errors in manually marked ballots could be significant, with examples from other states indicating error rates as high as 5.5%. Comparatively, Georgia’s machine-generated errors were limited to around 3,500 in a much larger voting population. He stressed that continuous training of poll workers is essential to minimize human errors.
Raffensperger talks about Trump’s Pressure Tactics
The audio recording offers an unprecedented insight into a conversation that took place on January 2, 2021, in which President Trump urged Raffensperger to reconsider the election results.
The call, now considered a pivotal moment in recent political history, underscores the lengths to which Trump was willing to go to contest the election outcome.
Confronting Contradictory Information
In the conversation, Trump persistently urged Raffensperger to reverse Georgia’s election outcome, disregarding certified results. Trump asserted his victory and even suggested uncounted votes in his favor.
Raffensperger remained resolute, countering Trump’s misinformation with accurate data. He debunked fraud claims, highlighting two instances of deceased voters rather than the thousands alleged.
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