Latest news with #Raffensperger
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
The coming arms race on gerrymandering
'I just want to find 11,780 votes,' President Donald Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during a recorded phone call two months after Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. Trump's goal was to retroactively inflate his Georgia vote total in order win a state he'd lost and tip the Electoral College his way — to cheat his way to reelection, in other words, according to the Tribune News Service. Raffensperger, to his eternal credit, refused that corrupt directive from a president of his own party. If only Republican state lawmakers in Texas, Missouri and other red states today had that kind principled dedication to the rules and norms of democracy. But alas. Trump is currently engaged in a similar vote-cheating scheme but on a much larger scale: In an effort to hold onto the GOP's slim congressional majority through next year's midterm elections, Trump is pressing Republican-led states across the country to redraw congressional district lines that were just decided after the 2020 census. And unlike Raffensperger, key Republicans from Austin to Jefferson City and beyond are responding not with principled refusal but with: Yes, sir. Trump isn't even pretending this is anything other than a calculated power grab. Because Trump easily won Texas last year, he told an interviewer this week, 'We are entitled to five more (congressional) seats' from that state. That's not how it works, of course, but whatever. Democratic governors of California, Illinois and other blue states are now contemplating responding by redrawing their own district lines to give Democrats more seats from their states next year. This is what a redistricting arms race looks like — and it promises to sow even more chaos into America's electoral politics than Trump already has. The chaos is most evident in Texas, which is on the verge of redrawing its districts on direct orders from Trump. Legislative Democrats responded by fleeing the state to prevent a vote. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has welcomed them to hunker down in his blue state like refugees from some third-world dictatorship. Texas Republicans are threatening them with expulsion or even arrest. Here in Missouri, Trump's call for corrupt redistricting was initially rejected by top Republicans as an invalid scrambling of the normal process. This page even lauded them for their adherence to principle— prematurely, as it turns out. Missouri Republicans who initially expressed reservations about the idea are now suggesting it's possible, even likely, that Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe will call a special session to do Trump's bidding. Kehoe hasn't yet committed to that, but he hasn't ruled it out, either. Where (or where?) are the Brad Raffenspergers in today's GOP? Ironically, there's at least one of them in Congress right now: Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., has introduced a bill to ban mid-decade redistricting across the country. His motives aren't purely principle, as it was clearly prompted by fears that California Gov. Gavin Newsom would carry out his threat to counter Texas' redistricting shenanigans in kind, potentially unseating California Republicans such as Kiley himself. Still, the legislation (which faces low odds of passage) would at least put the brakes on this runaway redistricting train. Is what Texas is doing and Missouri is contemplating even legal? Clearly it shouldn't be. One person, one vote is a bedrock principle of our democracy. Gerrymandering generally erodes that principle — and gerrymandering that's this blatant in its timing and stated motivation erodes it blatantly. But the US Supreme Court in a 2019 case (Rucho v. Common Cause) effectively punted on the issue, allowing that gerrymandering might be illegal but ruling that federal courts had no jurisdiction to decide the matter. But that doesn't prevent Congress from imposing controls over the process like the one Rep. Kiley envisions, keeping redistricting as the once-per-decade process it's always been. Better still would be reforms of the kind Common Cause and others have long envisioned (and that California, for one, has already enacted) taking redistricting out of the hands of politicians entirely and leaving it to independent entities using hard cold demographic data instead of partisan gamesmanship.
Axios
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Georgia to cut nearly 480,000 names from voter rolls
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger plans to remove nearly 480,000 names from Georgia's voter rolls before the end of summer. Why it matters: Purges are necessary maintenance to secure the integrity of elections and use reputable government data to create the removal list, proponents like Raffensperger argue. Yes, but: Critics like the Brennan Center for Justice agree that the rolls should be accurate. But they say the deletions too often remove eligible voters — particularly young and minority voters or people who move frequently. How it works: Raffensperger is sending cancellation mailers to 477,883 registered "inactive" voters, meaning they did not cast a ballot for both the 2022 and 2024 general elections. Those voters, he said in a press release, have already received letters notifying them of their inactive status. Voters with pending cancellations have 40 days to update their registration by using the My Voter Page, completing and returning a provided postcard, or submitting a new voter registration application. What they're saying:"Georgia's voter rolls are the cleanest in the nation thanks to the diligent partnerships we've made to secure our elections," Raffensperger said. "Clean voter rolls mean clean elections. My promise to Georgia voters is elections that are free, fair, and fast – and we're doing just that." The other side: Critics of Georgia's "use it or lose it" voter registration rules, which were upheld 5-4 by the U.S. Supreme Court shortly before the 2018 midterms, say the restrictions punish people for not doing something. According to American Public Media, then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp's more than 500,000-voter purge the previous year booted tens of thousands of eligible voters. By the numbers: According to the secretary of state's office, the list of voters now facing removal includes: 180,473 people who moved out of state, according to the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) 87,027 voters who filed a change of address, according to the U.S. Postal Service 105,848 people who have not cast a ballot, updated their registration or responded to mail from election officials 104,535 records of people whose mail from county election officials was returned undeliverable Zoom out: Raffensperger is also informing people who use a P.O. box or business as their voter registration address to update their records with a residential address or get kicked off the voter roll.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elections board member says she still believes rules were ‘beneficial' despite Supreme Court ruling
In a massive 96-page ruling, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down four controversial rules on Tuesday that the State Election Board tried to implement right before last year's presidential election The justices said the SEB went way beyond its authority when it required each precinct to hand count ballots and allowed local election board members to refuse to certify results. Chief Justice Nels Peterson wrote, 'The SEB can pass rules to implement and enforce the election code, but it cannot go beyond, change, or contradict the law.' Scot Turner heads a group of former GOP lawmakers who challenged the rules in court. 'I think it's a tremendous victory for conservatism,' Turner told Channel 2's Richard Elliot. RELATED STORIES: Lawsuit filed against State Election Board by Republicans to 'rein in unelected' members' authority Raffensperger says voters 'should be concerned' over new, possibly illegal, Election Board rules Secretary of State say State Election Board has overstepped legal authority over new rules State elections board votes to require hand-counting of ballots at polling places Georgia AG says new rules from State Election Board may 'conflict' with state election laws Brad Raffensperger calls Georgia Election Rule Changes misguided, criticizes state board Judge says new Georgia election rules are 'illegal, unconstitutional and void' Georgia Election Board member's appearance at Trump rally sparks debate over code of conduct, Other groups joined in later, including the ACLU and the NAACP. Turner said the SEB basically tried to create laws, something blatantly unconstitutional. 'Nobody elected the State Election Board members, and they took it upon themselves to create new laws. That's a separation of powers issue. It becomes a major problem when you allow that to go unchecked,' Turner said. Election board member Janelle King said she respects the ruling but still believes in the rules they tried to pass. 'I absolutely respect our judicial system,' King said. King told Elliot that they'll now focus their attention on convincing lawmakers to either give the SEB the legal authority to make these rule changes or change the rules themselves. 'I still wholeheartedly believe that these rules are beneficial, useful, and the intent is still there. However, now the ball is in the court of our legislators,' King said. Just hours after the Supreme Court announced its decision, the Georgia House announced its blue-ribbon study committee on election procedures will meet for the first time on July 17.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia GOP's attempt to block Brad Raffensperger from running as a Republican may go nowhere
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's Republican Party says Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger should not be able to run under the party's banner anymore, but the party's chairman says the attempt to kick out the state's chief election official is going nowhere. Delegates voted overwhelmingly at the state GOP convention on Saturday in Dalton to adopt a series of resolutions, including one declaring the party shall not 'take any action to allow Brad Raffensperger to qualify as a Republican' for future elections. The resolution shows the deep hostility many Republican activists have toward Raffensperger following his refusal to help Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Alex Johnson chairs the Georgia Republican Assembly, a group that tries to influence the party. He said Raffensperger has been 'generally ignoring and disrespecting' the party, including attempts to change the election system, and that Republicans should be allowed to divorce Raffensperger. 'He doesn't listen to anything that the Republican party has asked him to do,' Johnson said Monday. 'He is hostile and has been hostile towards our presidential nominee and now a person who is president.' But party Chairman Josh McKoon told reporters after the convention ended that while the resolution 'presents the sense of the convention on what should happen,' state law requires the party to allow Raffensperger to run as a Republican. 'I don't really see a way for the Georgia Republican Party to decline someone the opportunity to qualify,' McKoon said. Spokespeople for Raffensperger did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The two-term secretary of state has said he's considering running for governor or U.S. Senate in 2026. Georgia has no party registration and its primary elections allow anyone to vote in the party nominating contest of their choice. That means it can be hard to tell who is truly a Republican or a Democrat. Some Republicans favor a system of voter registration by party and primaries that allow only party members to vote. They also say party officials should decide which candidates should be allowed to run as Republicans. The Georgia Republican Party's executive committee voted in January to expel former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan after Duncan endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president. The committee voted to ban Duncan from party events and said it would not qualify Duncan to run as a Republican in the future. But the party in 2023 rejected an attempt to ban ideological traitors from primary ballots. Last year, judges blocked attempts by a county party in northwest Georgia to act as gatekeepers for local candidates. In a ruling regarding Catoosa County, the state Supreme Court did not get to the heart of the dispute over whether parities can create rules for qualifying candidates in primary elections beyond those found in Georgia law. Those who push that point of view claim being forced to qualify everyone who signs up violates their freedom of association under the U.S. Constitution. 'You can't force a Baptist church to ordain a Buddhist or a Muslim to be a Baptist minister,' said Nathaniel Darnell, president of the Georgia Republican Assembly. 'By the same token, you can't force somebody who is counteracting the Republican principles and objectives to be Republican.' A federal judge rejected that argument, but some Catoosa County Republicans have appealed the case. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet ruled. Republicans in Chattooga and Pickens counties passed similar rules. Those who want to act as gatekeepers generally are seeking to move the party to the right. The state convention on Saturday, for example, called for repealing both the state income tax and local property taxes. Those who hold a different view say primary election voters should decide who's a true Republican. U.S. District Judge Billy Ray, a former chair of the Gwinnett County Republican Party, wrote that a party's associational rights are not 'absolute' and voters should decide primaries when he rejected the Catoosa County case now on appeal. 'Trying to limit who can run in a primary seems inconsistent with the purpose of a primary to start with,' Ray wrote in a footnote. 'Perhaps the Catoosa Republican Party doesn't believe that the citizens of Catoosa County can for themselves intelligently decide which candidates best embody the principles of the Republican Party.'
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Georgia GOP's attempt to block Brad Raffensperger from running as a Republican may go nowhere
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's Republican Party says Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger should not be able to run under the party's banner anymore, but the party's chairman says the attempt to kick out the state's chief election official is going nowhere. Delegates voted overwhelmingly at the state GOP convention on Saturday in Dalton to adopt a series of resolutions, including one declaring the party shall not 'take any action to allow Brad Raffensperger to qualify as a Republican' for future elections. The resolution shows the deep hostility many Republican activists have toward Raffensperger following his refusal to help Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Alex Johnson chairs the Georgia Republican Assembly, a group that tries to influence the party. He said Raffensperger has been 'generally ignoring and disrespecting' the party, including attempts to change the election system, and that Republicans should be allowed to divorce Raffensperger. 'He doesn't listen to anything that the Republican party has asked him to do,' Johnson said Monday. 'He is hostile and has been hostile towards our presidential nominee and now a person who is president.' But party Chairman Josh McKoon told reporters after the convention ended that while the resolution 'presents the sense of the convention on what should happen,' state law requires the party to allow Raffensperger to run as a Republican. 'I don't really see a way for the Georgia Republican Party to decline someone the opportunity to qualify,' McKoon said. Spokespeople for Raffensperger did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The two-term secretary of state has said he's considering running for governor or U.S. Senate in 2026. Georgia has no party registration and its primary elections allow anyone to vote in the party nominating contest of their choice. That means it can be hard to tell who is truly a Republican or a Democrat. Some Republicans favor a system of voter registration by party and primaries that allow only party members to vote. They also say party officials should decide which candidates should be allowed to run as Republicans. The Georgia Republican Party's executive committee voted in January to expel former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan after Duncan endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president. The committee voted to ban Duncan from party events and said it would not qualify Duncan to run as a Republican in the future. But the party in 2023 rejected an attempt to ban ideological traitors from primary ballots. Last year, judges blocked attempts by a county party in northwest Georgia to act as gatekeepers for local candidates. In a ruling regarding Catoosa County, the state Supreme Court did not get to the heart of the dispute over whether parities can create rules for qualifying candidates in primary elections beyond those found in Georgia law. Those who push that point of view claim being forced to qualify everyone who signs up violates their freedom of association under the U.S. Constitution. 'You can't force a Baptist church to ordain a Buddhist or a Muslim to be a Baptist minister,' said Nathaniel Darnell, president of the Georgia Republican Assembly. 'By the same token, you can't force somebody who is counteracting the Republican principles and objectives to be Republican.' A federal judge rejected that argument, but some Catoosa County Republicans have appealed the case. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet ruled. Republicans in Chattooga and Pickens counties passed similar rules. Those who want to act as gatekeepers generally are seeking to move the party to the right. The state convention on Saturday, for example, called for repealing both the state income tax and local property taxes. Those who hold a different view say primary election voters should decide who's a true Republican. U.S. District Judge Billy Ray, a former chair of the Gwinnett County Republican Party, wrote that a party's associational rights are not 'absolute' and voters should decide primaries when he rejected the Catoosa County case now on appeal. 'Trying to limit who can run in a primary seems inconsistent with the purpose of a primary to start with,' Ray wrote in a footnote. 'Perhaps the Catoosa Republican Party doesn't believe that the citizens of Catoosa County can for themselves intelligently decide which candidates best embody the principles of the Republican Party.'
