Two former Georgia governors lead bipartisan effort to fight election conspiracy theories

Some of Georgia’s most prominent bipartisan leaders are uniting behind an effort to bolster confidence in the state’s election system after years of damage from false claims and discredited conspiracy theories about widespread voting fraud in 2020.

The Democracy Defense Project launched its state-based program Tuesday helmed by two Democrats — former Gov. Roy Barnes and ex-Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin — and two Republicans — former Gov. Nathan Deal and ex-U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to strengthen trust in election systems in politically competitive states. Organizers plan a media campaign in Georgia and other battlegrounds to “raise awareness of efforts to subvert elections across the country and help move us beyond polarizing rhetoric.”

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“We refuse to sit on the sidelines while the bedrock of this great nation is eroded away by misinformation and dangerous political agendas,” said Deal, who served two terms as governor from 2011 to 2019. “Our goal is to restore confidence in the electoral process that makes this country exceptional.”

He was echoed by Barnes, who was elected to Georgia’s top job in 1998 and lost a comeback bid to Deal a dozen years later.

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“While it may be politically advantageous to undermine America’s core values,” Barnes said, “it’s a harmful, damaging game with lasting consequences for ‘We the People’.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Suspicions of election fraud took root among Republicans in Georgia after Donald Trump lost the state by fewer than 12,000 votes, but three vote counts showed similar results and intentional wrongdoing has never been proved.

Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other Republicans who rejected Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat drew the wrath of Trump, who worked to defeat the two in 2022 during their reelection bids. Both trounced Trump-backed opponents.

In the nearly four years since, repeated investigations have dismissed Trump-driven allegations of ballot-stuffing, ineligible voting and mismatched voter signatures. But at the same time, mistrust in elections has become a cornerstone of mainstream Republican belief in Georgia.

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Chambliss, a former two-term senator, said he and the project’s other leaders will “use our platform and resources to expose lies, promote truth and ultimately ensure the future of our great Republic.”

Their announcement comes two days before the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, which will be held Thursday in Atlanta.

Voter confidence remains low, especially among Republicans as Trump has continued to complain that the 2020 election was rigged, according to polls by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Just 45% of conservatives said they were confident this year’s election would be fair and accurate, according to an AJC poll in January. Among all voters, 56% of survey respondents said they were at least somewhat confident.

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Franklin, a former two-term Atlanta mayor, said she’ll use her platform to promote a message that “Georgia’s elections are secure and fair.”

“When voters from all four corners of our great state cast a ballot, they should be confident that the system works and their vote counts — because it does.”