Georgia Sec. of State Pushes Election Security Amid Ballot Harvesting Concerns

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Republican secretary of state, is calling for heightened security at voting sites for this year's midterm elections, a month after it was revealed that the state was pursuing an investigation of claims of ballot harvesting by Democrats in the 2020 election.

Raffensperger said in a statement connected to a Monday press release from his office that he supported placing law enforcement officers at the polls to ensure that state laws are being followed.

''Georgia has become the center of the election universe, and this year we are going to have hard-fought campaigns that are watched around the country, and every indication is that we are going to have close races,'' Raffensperger said. ''With that environment, it only makes sense to provide additional resources for election security so that everyone can have confidence in the results.''

The office followed up Raffensperger's statement with further explanation for the decision to call on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, the state Legislature and the State Election Board to provide resources to support his plan.

''This election year, Georgia will attract well-funded campaigns, aggressive political operatives, out-of-state special-interest groups and constant media attention,'' Raffensperger's office said.

''With these elements in Georgia, we are likely to see increases in threats to poll workers, county election officials, credentialed poll watchers who are simply attempting to perform their important task, and most importantly, voters who are exercising their constitutional right to vote.''

The Georgia official had previously downplayed calls from former President Donald Trump to investigate the election for harvesting claims but revealed in a Jan. 4 appearance on JustTheNews' ''John Solomon Reports'' that the state was prosecuting individuals suspected of ballot harvesting.

''Credible evidence was given to us that people were harvesting ballots,'' Raffensperger said in another interview with The National Desk's Jan Jeffcoat, according to ABC's KATV 7.

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