Raffensperger: Georgia is the gold standard for election administration
In an era when confidence in elections is too often shaped by partisan rhetoric rather than proven results, Georgia has taken a different approach: Build the nation’s gold standard for election administration and prove its success at every election.
The recently completed statewide primary and runoff are the latest examples. Millions of Georgians cast their ballots, votes were reported promptly, post-election audits confirmed the results and election officials across all 159 counties once again demonstrated that elections can be secure, accessible, transparent and efficient at the same time.
While other states continue debating how elections should work or struggle to produce timely results, Georgia continues proving how they can work.
Nothing reflects confidence in an election system more than participation. More than 2 million Georgians cast ballots in the May primary, with nearly 50% of them casting their ballots early.
Georgia shattered previous midterm primary early voting records, including a 29% increase on the first day of voting and a 28% increase during the first week compared to 2022. Voters from both political parties across every corner of our state participated because they trusted the process.
Peach State ranks high on election statistics
Georgia has earned its reputation through years of thoughtful reforms that make voting both secure and accessible. It was the first state in the nation to implement the trifecta of automatic voter registration, at least 17 days of early voting, and no-excuse absentee voting.
Those reforms are reinforced by some of the strongest election security measures in the country, including mandatory photo identification, citizenship verification during voter registration, secure paper ballots, rigorous testing of voting equipment, strict chain-of-custody procedures, bipartisan county election boards and statewide oversight.
Most importantly, Georgia doesn’t simply ask voters to trust the process. We verify it.
Following both the May primary and June runoff, all 159 counties completed statewide risk-limiting audits that confirmed the election outcomes, with agreement between hand counts and machine counts of more than 99% and 99.99%, respectively. Georgia’s paper-ballot system allows every election to be independently verified, giving voters confidence that every lawful ballot is counted accurately.
Georgia’s election policies have garnered national acclaim. The Heritage Foundation ranks Georgia in the top 10% of states for election integrity, giving it a perfect score in Voter Identification.
The Center for Election Innovation & Research ranks Georgia among the nation’s leaders in voter accessibility, while The Bipartisan Policy Center tied Georgia for first in election administration. Organizations with different perspectives have reached the same conclusion: Georgia has built an election system that delivers both integrity and access.
Preparation for November election is underway
That success is also reflected in public opinion. A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia poll found that 70% of likely Democratic primary voters and 77% of likely Republican primary voters said they were very or somewhat confident that Georgia’s primary election would be conducted fairly and accurately.
These numbers show confidence growing across party lines, confidence earned despite baseless attacks and misinformation from those with clear political agendas.
Georgia has also demonstrated that election integrity and voter accessibility are not competing priorities. We have shown the nation that elections can be secure while remaining accessible, and that accurate vote counting does not require waiting days or even weeks for results. Georgia has built an election that delivers timely results, without sacrificing security or accuracy.
Our rigorous preparation for November is already underway. Voting equipment is being tested, poll workers are receiving additional training, cybersecurity protections continue to be strengthened, voter rolls are being maintained in accordance with state and federal law, and state and local officials are coordinating to protect election infrastructure. Mandatory post-election audits, public observation opportunities, and Georgia’s Election Data Hub will once again ensure transparency throughout the election process.
None of this happens by accident. Georgia’s elections are successful because thousands of state and county election officials, poll workers, volunteers and public servants work year-round in preparation for every possibility. Their professionalism and dedication deserve the confidence they have earned from Georgia voters.
As fall midterms approach, our commitment remains simple: Every eligible Georgian should be able to cast a ballot easily, every lawful vote should be counted accurately and every voter should have confidence in the result.
Confidence in the system can’t be dictated from above. It is earned through transparency, accountability and results. That’s the standard Georgia has set, and that’s the standard we will continue to uphold.
Brad Raffensperger is the secretary of state of Georgia.
Send letters to the editor of 250 words or fewer with your name, city or town and contact information to letters@ajc.com.