“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.”Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wants Congressional leaders to take advantage of the upcoming Republican trifecta at the federal level and prioritize election reform.
Raffensperger urged then-Speaker McCarthy and key Committee chairs on reform proposals, outlining measures to ensure election integrity, enhance public confidence, and balance voter access with security.
Secretary Raffensperger praised election administrators across the state for seamless administration and putting the voters first, highlighting the state’s commitment to transparency and the robust election reforms enacted in 2019 and 2021, which led to record turnout in a Presidential cycle.
Raffensperger: Key Proposals for Election Reform
- Citizenship Verification: Georgia has developed a seamless way to verify citizenship by working closely with the Department of Driver Services. Federal legislation should expand the tools available to states to verify the U.S. citizenship of all voters and require this to be done for voters in federal elections. While federal law mandates U.S. citizenship for federal elections, some municipalities have allowed non-citizens to vote in local elections. Raffensperger proposed a constitutional amendment to prohibit non-citizen voting in all federal elections, reinforcing the principle that American elections are decided by American citizens.
- Photo ID: Citing Georgia’s success with photo ID requirements for all voting forms, Raffensperger called for a similar standard in federal elections. He pointed to high voter turnout and widespread public support for such measures as evidence of their effectiveness.
- Ban Ballot Harvesting Nationwide: To safeguard against vote buying and inducement, Raffensperger proposed a nationwide ban on ballot harvesting, reinforcing the direct relationship between voters and the ballot box.
- Quick and Accurate Reporting of Results, Confirmed by Audits: All ballots should have to arrive by Election Day except for 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 calls for uniform, nationwide post-election audits. Such audits would establish minimum standards across states, ensuring consistency and public trust.
- Clean Voter Lists: Modernize the National Voter Registration Act to allow states to clean lists closer to elections as long as high-quality, accurate data is used.
Source: Secretary of State Press Office
