Raffensperger launches bipartisan election integrity task force ahead of Georgia’s midterms

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is launching a bipartisan task force to shore up voter confidence in election results on both sides of the aisle.

The organization, which is made up of former elected officials from both parties, county election workers and other election experts, officially launched Wednesday. Members include former Democratic Governor Roy Barnes, former GOP U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, former GOP U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who is a Democrat.

In an interview, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is a Republican, said he hopes the appointees’ long records of public service will help voters trust the results of the midterm elections.

“This group here, they’re well-respected members of the community,” Raffensperger said Wednesday. “They’re on both sides of the aisle, but they are also recognized as being fair brokers of the truth. They’re not just saying things because they got orders from their party bosses.”

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Though most Georgia voters already trust the system, Raffensperger said he wants to maintain trust in the outcome of statewide elections heading into the final stretch of campaign season, and combat those who are “casting doubt on it and creating that doubt in people’s minds.”

Members of the task force will assist with regional election worker trainings, appear at roundtable policy discussions and help coordinate with local election officials on the ground.

Muscogee County Elections and Registration Director Nancy Boren, one of two county election officials appointed to the panel, said she is looking forward to working with other election leaders and offering insight from a county administrators’ perspective.

“It’s important for election officials like myself to have a voice at the table and to contribute to ongoing discussions,” she said.