Raffensperger, Graham and Georgia: The new controversy over US elections

Brad Raffensperger, secretary of the US state of Georgia, said on Tuesday he was on a phone call when South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham asked him whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots. Raffensperger interpreted this question as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes and told the Washington Post that “it sure looked like he was wanting to go down that road.”

Democrats and political observers were quick to condemn Graham, the Republican senator and a close ally of President Donald Trump, who has denied making such a suggestion calling it “ridiculous”. Graham told ABC News that he called Raffensperger “because the future of the country hangs in the balance.”

Why is Georgia important?

Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in Georgia by just under 15,000 votes, the first time the state had gone for a Democrat since 1996. A hand recount was ordered and is expected to be completed by November 20. But it is unlikely to change the result. If it did, the state’s 16 votes would not change the overall result in the electoral college, which Biden won 306-232. The threshold for victory is 270.

Read more | Donald Trump fires US election security official who rejected fraud claims

But Trump has vehemently refused to concede defeat and continues to peddle debunked conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud and electoral irregularities which election officials from both parties have dismissed as baseless. Georgia, as a state, is an important part of Trump’s voter fraud narrative.

What could happen to Graham?

The US justice department could open an inquiry into the matter as there is “sufficient predication to open a federal investigation”, according to former US attorney and current University of Alabama law professor Joyce White Vance (Where did she this?). Graham’s action could also amount to a felony.

Why is Raffensperger facing criticism?

Raffensperger, a Republican, has faced criticism from his own party. He told the Post he had received threatening messages from “people on [his] side of the aisle”, demanding that he “better not botch” the recount. Georgia’s two senators, David Perdue and Kelley Loeffler, have called for his resignation.

Source: Read Full Article