Ga. elections chief wants to see state’s reforms repeated nationwide
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - With Republicans now holding a majority in the U.S. House and Senate — and former President Donald Trump soon returning to the White House — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is calling on congressional leaders to prioritize national election reform.
Raffensperger urges lawmakers to adopt a federal framework that, he said, “upholds the standards of transparency, security, and integrity demonstrated in Georgia.
‘Free, fair and now fast’: Elections chief weighs in on voter experience
When it comes to casting your vote, Brad Raffensperger has one goal: “Free, fair and now fast elections,” he said.
“Voters nationwide deserve to participate in elections that have both security and integrity, along with easy access for eligible voters and quick and accurate reporting of results,” Raffensperger — who has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2026 — said in a news release.
In 2023, Raffensperger previously urged then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other House GOP election leaders on reform proposals. Now, Raffensperger is touting Georgia’s historic early voting numbers in the recent presidential election.
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“Georgians had more days and more ways to vote than ever before,” Raffensperger said. “These efforts paid off, resulting in a record turnout election that was safe, secure and accurate.”
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Here’s what Raffensperger is proposing:
- Citizenship verification. Raffensperger said Georgia has developed “a seamless way to citizenship by working closely with the Department of Driver Services.” He said federal legislation should expand the tools available to states to the U.S. citizenship of all voters. While federal law mandates U.S. citizenship for federal elections, “some municipalities have allowed non-citizens to vote in local elections,” he said. Raffensperger wants a constitutional amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting in all federal elections.
- Photo ID. Citing Georgia’s success with photo ID requirements for all forms of voting, Raffensperger is calling for a similar standard in federal elections.
- Ban ballot harvesting. Raffensperger is proposing a nationwide ban on ballot harvesting, reinforcing the direct relationship between voters and the ballot box.
- Quick, accurate reporting of results, confirmed by audits. According to Raffensperger, all ballots should arrive by Election Day — except for those of military and overseas voters — and results should be tabulated and reported quickly and accurately. Those results should then be audited to bolster confidence in election outcomes. Raffensperger is calling for uniform, nationwide post-election audits.
- Clean voter lists. Raffensperger wants to modernize the National Voter Registration Act to allow states to clean lists closer to elections as long as high-quality, accurate data is used.
Raffensperger will speak Monday to the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, where he will discuss the “Georgia Plan” for national election reform.
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