Georgia election fraud task force appointed

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Monday appointed prosecutors and election officials to his newly created group that will investigate absentee voting fraud in Georgia.

Raffensperger said his Absentee Ballot Fraud Task Force will help protect an election with large numbers of absentee voters.

Election fraud is rare in Georgia, but more voters than ever plan to cast their ballots through the mail and avoid human contact during the coronavirus pandemic. As of Sunday, more than 825,000 voters had requested absentee ballots for the June 9 primary.

"The people of Georgia have the right to a secure, safe and reliable vote," Raffensperger said. "In times of crisis and change, scams and deceit multiply."

The task force will investigate mismatched voter signatures, multiple voters at the same address and voters who use nonresidential addresses, Raffensperger said earlier this month.

The group will be led by Frances Watson, the chief investigator for the secretary of state’s office, with assistance from state Elections Director Chris Harvey. The task force’s members are: