GA State Troopers Should Protect Polling Places: Raffensperger

Atlanta GA

16 February, 2022

4:23 PM

Description

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia's Secretary of State wants more law enforcement involved in protecting the next election and every election going forward. Brad Raffensperger this week made a request to have Georgia state troopers assigned to polls on each election day and have Georgia Bureau of Investigations agents involved in probing for possible fraud. "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." Following allegations of widespread election cheating during the 2020 presidential election that resulted in Joe Biden's victory in Georgia — allegations that have since been disproven — efforts have been led by Republican leaders at the state level to enhance the protection of election integrity. Gov. Brian Kemp last March signed into law legislation that, among other things, removed the secretary of state from the State Elections Commission, gave it authority to replace county election officials, and reduced the amount of time voters had to request absentee ballots ahead of Election Day or access ballot drop boxes. Raffensperger said he would ask Kemp and state lawmakers to add two GBI agents to each elections case and post state troopers and other sworn state law enforcement personnel at each polling location to "play a role in protecting the safety of voters and poll workers in polling places when ballots are being cast, ensuring credentialed poll watchers have transparent access, and ensuring that all state laws are followed."