Raffensperger says Fulton County’s ‘clerical error’ does not nullify votes
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Brian Kemp visits Georgia National Guard troops in Washington.
- Two new Georgia candidates launch campaigns for Congress.
- A judge denies the state’s request to dismiss an open records lawsuit.
2020 redux
A story ricocheting across the internet wrongly claims that Fulton County officials illegally certified more than 300,000 votes during the 2020 presidential election — or more than enough to overturn the results that sent Joe Biden to the White House and eventually gave Democrats control of the U.S. Senate.
A closer look at the flurry of all-caps X posts peppered with screaming red siren emojis shows the conclusions from multiple investigations and at least three recounts have not changed: Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.
In this most recent case, an article in The Federalist pointed to testimony before the State Election Board in which Fulton County officials conceded poll workers did not sign tabulation tapes from voting machines that had counted 315,000 ballots cast during the early voting period.
A state regulation, published by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office, requires poll workers to sign these tapes. But the failure to sign doesn’t negate the ballots. The rule is meant as another check to make sure the count is correct. These ballots have been counted multiple times, including once by hand to verify the results.
Raffensperger noted “all voters were verified with photo ID and lawfully cast their ballots.” He added: “A clerical error at the end of the day does not erase valid, legal votes.”
We asked The Federalist to respond to Raffensperger’s contention the story got it wrong by saying the votes were “illegally certified.” Editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway posted a long response on X, but did not address that aspect of the story.
“Rules governing election administration exist to produce results trusted by winners and losers alike,” she wrote. “Failure to follow the rules, particularly in widespread fashion, destroys trust in the process and creates opportunities for fraud and error.”
The story’s framing has prompted people to cite it as evidence of irregularities during Georgia’s 2020 election, including U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ Senate campaign.
“Jon Ossoff became a Senator on a fluke,” the campaign posted on X.
Conservative radio host and AJC contributor Erick Erickson said he was “beyond tired of people spreading stolen election mythologies.”
“This is silly stuff rotting people’s brains,” he said.
Things to know
Good morning! We’re 20 days away from the start of Georgia’s legislative session. Meanwhile, the primary for U.S. Senate, governor and other offices is in 147 days.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Georgia Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler and her husband, Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeffrey Sprecher, appear linked to the recent purchase of a $30 million Sea Island property, the AJC’s Amy Wenk reports.
- Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has appointed Salleigh Grubbs to the State Election Board to replace former state Sen. Rick Jeffares. The AJC’s David Wickert reports the appointment is not likely to alter the balance of power on the board, where a right-wing majority has adopted an aggressive approach to rulemaking and investigations.
- Theodore Hertzberg, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, is showcasing his office’s crime fighting work while being careful not to run afoul of President Donald Trump, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman reports.
D.C. visit
Gov. Brian Kemp traveled to Washington this week to visit with Georgia National Guard troops deployed there as part of President Donald Trump’s push to clamp down on crime in the nation’s capital.
The governor’s office said Kemp spent “several hours” with the soldiers at the D.C. Armory on Monday, joined by first lady Marty Kemp, Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes, Insurance Commissioner John King and Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, adjutant general of the Georgia Guard. King is also a retired major general in the U.S. Army.
“As families gather to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, our thoughts and prayers will be with these servicemembers— and those throughout the world — who won’t be with their loved ones for the holidays because they’re keeping our nation and allies safe,” Kemp said.
Kemp mobilized the Georgia National Guard in September for their D.C. deployment. The move has divided Georgia’s political leaders along party lines. And it also earned criticism from some Georgia veterans, including the retired National Guard Maj. Gens. Matt Smith and Joe Wells, who warned the deployments could affect recruiting and overall readiness.
Campaign watch
A nationwide slowdown in movie and TV show productions has upended Georgia’s once bustling film industry, putting scores of skilled technicians out of work. Now, a union camera technician wants to turn Georgia workers’ plight into a campaign for Congress.
Democrat Case Norton hopes to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, pledging to run a progressive campaign on issues including raising the federal minimum wage, legalizing and taxing cannabis at the federal level, and protecting abortion rights.
“Like any other person in my industry, we’re sick of waiting on other people to dictate our future,” Norton, 36, told the AJC’s Savannah Sicurella.
Norton has been vocal on social media about the recent downturn in film and television jobs across the country. But he’ll likely face strong headwinds trying to win in a district specifically drawn for Republicans to win. The seat has a topsy-turvy redistricting history, bouncing between both parties until McCormick settled there last year.
Aside from the film industry, Norton said he’s also planning to focus on strengthening worker protections. And he wants to lower the cost of living, echoing a common theme from Democrats running in 2026.
Text messages
Two health insurance companies insist state officials are hiding text messages that would prove they colluded to sabotage the companies’ bids for Georgia’s largest and most lucrative contract. A state judge on Monday ruled one of the companies can keep looking.
Amerigroup Community Care and Peach State Health Plan are protesting the state’s decision to reject their bids to manage Georgia’s Medicaid program. They filed an open records request for all communications related to the procurement process. But officials with Peach State Health Plan were surprised when the state only turned over a few text messages.
Company officials say more text messages must exist, and they sued the state for those records. Monday, a judge denied the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. During the hearing, a lawyer for Peach State Health Plan said they would begin interviewing people under oath to find these text messages, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
State regulators have already dismissed the companies’ protests. Jim Barnaby, deputy commissioner for the Department of Administrative Services, found that “the allegations that all records have not been produced to be speculative.”
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we examine the deepening divide over health care as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Succeeding Greene
Clayton Fuller, the northwest Georgia district attorney rumored to be among the people President Donald Trump was recruiting to challenge U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, announced Monday that he will run to succeed her in Congress.
Fuller, a Republican who lives in Lookout Mountain, said he decided to run after talking with family and local leaders — and following a meeting at the White House.
“With the upcoming vacancy for Georgia’s 14th Congressional seat, one thing is clear: we need an American First fighter to stand strong for President Trump’s Agenda,” Fuller said.
Last month, Greene announced she’s resigning from Congress, effective on Jan. 5. It comes following a break with Trump where the president called her a “traitor.” Her decision alters the dynamics of the race, clearing the way for a plethora of Republicans to vie for the seat.
Fuller, an Air Force veteran, represents four rural northwest Georgia counties as the district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. He’s an Air Force veteran and was a White House fellow during Trump’s first term.
He’s run for this seat before, finishing fourth in the 2020 primary that Greene ultimately won.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida this week and has no public events on his schedule.
- The House and Senate are on holiday break until Jan. 5.
Raffensperger’s idea
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is a Republican candidate for governor, this week unveiled an economic plan he said would make Georgia more affordable by attracting overseas jobs back to the state.
The proposal centers on making Georgia a national hub for reshored jobs — the practice of bringing outsourced jobs back into the country. Raffensperger’s proposal focuses on jobs in advanced manufacturing, defense, batteries, logistics and financial technology.
His marquee idea is a one-year, zero percent state income tax for employees who relocate to Georgia for qualifying reshoring projects — or for Georgians who take those jobs.
Raffensperger also called for creating a Georgia Jobs Fund, housed in the governor’s office, to offer performance-based grants for major job-creating projects, modeled after similar programs in Texas. The plan includes a “permitting fast lane” to speed approvals for large projects, including on-site power generation and infrastructure.
Shoutouts
Transitions:
- Kamau Marshall, who was a senior adviser and spokesperson for the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, is now CEO and founding principal of Think Toplines consulting firm.
- Tristan Porter is the new associate director of local affairs for Emory University and Healthcare.
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Before you go
Georgia doesn’t allow sports betting. But plenty of Georgians are placing wagers on the outcome of sports events through Kalshi, a prediction market that has so far gotten around the rules, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabu reports.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
This story has been updated to reflect U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ Senate campaign’s social media post expressing that poll workers not signing tabulation tapes is evidence of irregularities in Georgia’s 2020 election.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
