Since the 2020 presidential election, at least nine new election laws have been passed in Georgia. Advocates have had close to four years to push for reforms to make elections safer, more transparent and more secure.
Now, with two months until the general election, it’s essential that we work together to build confidence in our election systems rather than perpetuating unrest, disharmony and potential failure by continuing to make changes to the election process.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
In recent weeks, local election officials have requested that Georgia’s State Election Board stop making further changes to the state’s voting procedures. This request follows a number of last-minute rules changes, including some that were pushed through at an unauthorized hearing without several key legislators present. (Those changes ultimately were reversed, and a new hearing held.)
We agree with that request. At this late stage, any further changes only will serve to undermine Georgians’ confidence in their voting system. Elections are important; they are the bedrock of our democratic system. How they are administered is of immense public concern and always should be a matter up for debate. We need to discuss all policy matters publicly and enthusiastically with facts and data supporting our positions.
However, there needs to be a time to end the discussion, adopt the measures of change and administer the election in this particular cycle. This time is now.
Surveys show that the people of Georgia — Democrats, Republicans, independents, liberals, conservatives — trust their election officials to methodically and securely administer their elections with integrity and credibility. This includes accurately counting votes and reporting the results of all contests in a free and fair manner.
A poll commissioned by our organization, the Secure Elections Project, showed that 67% of Georgia Republicans said they have confidence in the election process. One respondent, a man over 65, said of the state’s voting system: “Never had any problems and don’t personally know anyone who has.”
This matches what we’ve heard from the state’s conservative leadership. Gov. Brian Kemp has said, “Our elections in Georgia are secure, accessible, and fair and will continue to be as long as I am governor.” And Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a news release endorsing the SEP poll.
These comments also are similar to what we have heard from other state and federal leaders discussing the elections process in their states and around the country. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reported that the 2020 “election was the most secure in American history.”
Even though dozens of audits and recounts have been conducted nationwide and the results have not indicated that any election results should have been reversed from the 2020 cycle, it should be acknowledged that many Americans have their own opinions and have reached their own conclusions about the election, and those opinions are not likely to change in the next two months.
There have been some instances related to election administration in which certain vulnerabilities and administrative errors have been documented and reported. Many of those have been legally evaluated and assessed, and have resulted in convictions dealing with election fraud. In response, certain weaknesses have been addressed by those jurisdictions and should be closely monitored in the 2024 cycle, as all election activities should be.
We served as secretaries of state in two conservative Southern states and were responsible for administering more than 90 elections between us. That experience taught us the importance of balancing security concerns with access to the polls. We believe that each and every eligible U.S. citizen who is a resident of the state in question should be given the opportunity to become a registered voter, obtain a government-issued photo ID, and exercise their right to vote for the candidate of their choice.
Under our administrations, state officials investigated thousands of reports of voter fraud and helped modernize and strengthen security around election infrastructure. Many of these reports actually resulted in voter fraud convictions. These experiences led us to the conclusion that each and every state should be responsible for making it easy to vote and hard to cheat in their jurisdiction.
The elections in Georgia are secure, thanks to the leadership of Kemp, Raffensperger, members of the State Board of Elections and, especially, the Georgia General Assembly. They have shown that election security can and should be a nonpartisan issue. These elected and appointed leaders have more than adequately prepared the citizens of the Peach State to participate in a safe, secure, fair and honest election.
John H. Merrill served as Alabama’s secretary of state from 2015-23. Trey Grayson was secretary of state for the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 2004-11. Both are Republicans and lead the Secure Elections Project, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the sanctity of American elections. Grayson testified before the Mississippi House of Representatives most recently in support of an early-voting bill.
