Brad Raffensperger's endorsement of a Georgia ballot inspection highlights GOP's election integrity conundrum
Despite his continuous dismissals of former President Donald Trump's false allegations of widespread voter fraud, Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) says he supports a new judge-approved inspection of all absentee ballots in Fulton County, despite multiple recounts and audits having already taken place. Those viewpoints may seem contradictory, but Raffensperger told The New York Times he's certain the inspection will reaffirm November's results. Allowing it, he argued, will increase transparency, "restore confidence" in the voting process, and "hopefully put this to bed."
The Washington Post's Greg Sargent, however, suggested Raffensperger is missing the point, even if his reasoning is "well-meaning." The goal of efforts like the Georgia inspection is to "cast doubt on electoral outcomes in conscious and deliberate defiance of what full transparency and the facts reveal," Sargent writes. "If the entire point here is to appropriate the power to simply declare an outcome invalid in the face of contrary facts" why would the latest affirmation of results "put this to rest?," as Raffensperger hopes, Sergeant added.
In short, Raffensperger is in the position of trying to "appease" Republican voters who believe Trump's claims, while also hoping to convince them of the integrity of the vote, Sargent writes. Ultimately, though, Harvard historian Daniel Ziblatt told Sargent he fears that Raffensperger and others are embarking on "a fool's errand," and may wind up legitimizing "that radical base, to their own demise."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified filesSpeed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DCSpeed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operationsSpeed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rulesSpeed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth


