Push to oust GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from election board intensifying
Push to oust Secretary of State Raffensperger from election board
The push to oust Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from the State Election Board is intensifying within the Georgia General Assembly. HB1112 has completed its second reading and aspires to remove Raffensperger from his position on the board.
ATLANTA - The push to oust Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from the State Election Board is intensifying within the Georgia General Assembly. HB1112 has completed its second reading and aspires to remove Raffensperger from his position on the board.
Raffensperger has longtime defended the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election amidst continued and unfounded claims of fraud.
HB1112 is the latest move by some Republican lawmakers to change how elections are run while also targeting the Secretary of State.
The proposal aims to remove him from his non-voting position on the State Election Board.
Charles Bullock, Professor of Political Science at University of Georgia, says that would make Raffensberger more vulnerable. "He would lose his ex-officio capacity," stated Bullock. Bullock says that would rob him of any opportunity to address and explain questions in real time.
"If he’s not in the room, then it’s a lot more likely that there’s more criticism and attacks on him, and then he wouldn’t be there when an issue comes up," said Bullock.
The bill would also attach the board to the state’s accounting office and authorize the body to investigate and reprimand the election division of the Secretary of State's office.
"Within the manner of a very few years, the situation would move from the State Election Board being an arm or an assist to him and carrying out his duties, to one that might be set up as a challenge to him," remarked Bullock.
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This comes on the tail of SB358 advancing to the house, which similarly proposes the board’s oversight of the Secretary of State.
A plan in which the bill’s sponsor has even acknowledged constitutional questions.
"I think probably what’s sparking this right now is his unwillingness to take actions that legislatures would like to see done," stated Bullock. "That would be, move to paper ballots—some would like to see that. Or completely change the election equipment so it prints out the person that you voted for instead of a QR code." Bullock further explained that Raffensperger told lawmakers it was too late in the year to make those changes.
FOX 5 reached out to the Secretary of State's office for response and the office did not comment.