“There’s a blatant attempt to stack the deck when there’s a move to sideline someone simply because they stood by the truth,” said state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Democrat from Duluth.

The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Max Burns, said he wasn’t suggesting that Raffensperger’s work is in question, but he wants additional supervision of elections. The bill would also remove Raffensperger’s position as a nonvoting member of the State Election Board.

“This will enhance the confidence Georgians have in their elections because now we’ll have a more independent oversight opportunity to ensure elections are conducted appropriately and without any errors or issues,” said Burns, a Republican from Sylvania.

Natrice Miller/AJC

Natrice Miller/AJC

The election board is currently made up of four Republicans and one Democrat. The board is appointed by the governor, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, and the two major political parties.

Raffensperger’s office said senators are wasting their time instead of focusing on improvements to election audits or efforts to stop foreign meddling.

“While others keep playing politics, the secretary of state’s office will stay focused on Georgia voters and ensuring a smooth, secure and accurate 2024 election,” a spokesman for Raffensperger said.

In response to criticisms that the bill could be unconstitutional because it gives political appointees on the State Election Board authority over a statewide elected official, Burns requested an interpretation of the law Thursday from Republican Attorney General Chris Carr.

The vote moved forward Friday before Carr had an opportunity to respond, and the bill passed 30-19.

The Senate also voted to prohibit ranked-choice voting in Georgia, even though it’s barely used in the state. Republicans started ranked-choice voting under Georgia’s 2021 voting law to accommodate military and overseas voters in runoffs.

Ranked-choice voting is a method in which voters rank their choices on their ballots. Then, if a voter’s first choice doesn’t finish among the top two candidates, the vote for the next candidate would be counted instead.

State Sen. Randy Robertson, the sponsor of Senate Bill 355, said ranked-choice voting can lead to “danger and chaos” among confused voters. The bill passed 31-19.

Many Republicans across the country have opposed ranked-choice voting since their party’s candidates led in the first round of elections in Alaska and Maine but Democrats won after second-choice votes were redistributed.

Democrats say ranked-choice voting can result in more representative government that would more closely reflect voters’ beliefs.

Opponents of ranked-choice voting “don’t want the views of the middle of the electorate, which are anti-election denial,” said state Sen. Elena Parent, a Democrat from Atlanta. “They would rather have their fever-dream candidate who’s mired in all kinds of alternative reality win the election.”

Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones praised passage of the bills.

“In order to have free and fair elections, Georgians must have the utmost trust in their state’s elections systems,” he said. “Senate Bills 355 and 358 strengthen our elections process by dispelling ambiguity and increasing public trust with Georgia’s voters.”

Both bills will next be considered by the state House.

Capitol Recap: The 2024 Legislative Session

Want to know what legislators did this past week and how it might affect you? Check out our weekly newsletter, Capitol Recap: The 2024 Legislative Session, every Friday.

To subscribe, go to https://www.ajc.com/subscribe-2024-legislative-session/.