dailysignal--2020-11-17--Washington Post Editorial Board Says Electoral College ‘No Longer Tenable for American Democracy’

The Washington Post editorial board came out Sunday in support of abolishing the Electoral College .
“ The Electoral College , whatever virtues it may have had for the Founding Fathers , is no longer tenable for American democracy , ” the Post ’ s editorial board wrote .
As of Monday afternoon , former Vice President Joe Biden holds a 5.6 million-vote lead over President Donald Trump and is projected to win 306 Electoral College votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
Despite these large margins , the Post ’ s editorial board noted , Trump would be preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes swung his way in the three key states of Arizona , Georgia , and Pennsylvania .
“ Americans are not going to be satisfied with leaders who have been rejected by a majority of voters , and they ’ re right not to be , ” the Post ’ s editorial board wrote .
“ It ’ s time to let the majority rule.
” “ Mr .
Trump became president in 2016 despite earning 3 million fewer votes than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , ” the editorial board wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning reelection despite losing the popular vote by a far greater margin.
” “ We believe Mr. Trump ’ s election was a sad event for the nation ; his reelection would have been a calamity , ” the board continued .
“ But we would be making this argument no matter which party seemed likely to benefit.
” The Post ’ s editorial board acknowledged that abolishing the Electoral College could have unintended consequences , such as leading presidential candidates to ignore voters in smaller states .
The board also said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolish the Electoral College “ isn ’ t about to happen.
” A movement to sidestep the Electoral College has gained steam in recent years .
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia , together representing 196 Electoral College votes , have signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact , agreeing to give all their presidential electors to the candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide .
The compact would go into effect if states representing an additional 74 electoral votes sign onto the compact , bringing their combined representation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate to win the White House .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities for this original content , email [ email protected ] .

The Washington Post editorial board came out Sunday in support of abolishing the Electoral College.
“The Electoral College, whatever virtues it may have had for the Founding Fathers, is no longer tenable for American democracy,” the Post’s editorial board wrote.
As of Monday afternoon, former Vice President Joe Biden holds a 5.6 million-vote lead over President Donald Trump and is projected to win 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Despite these large margins, the Post’s editorial board noted, Trump would be preparing for a second term had around 90,000 votes swung his way in the three key states of Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
“Americans are not going to be satisfied with leaders who have been rejected by a majority of voters, and they’re right not to be,” the Post’s editorial board wrote. “It’s time to let the majority rule.”
“Mr. Trump became president in 2016 despite earning 3 million fewer votes than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton,” the editorial board wrote. “Now, he has come close to winning reelection despite losing the popular vote by a far greater margin.”
“We believe Mr. Trump’s election was a sad event for the nation; his reelection would have been a calamity,” the board continued. “But we would be making this argument no matter which party seemed likely to benefit.”
The Post’s editorial board acknowledged that abolishing the Electoral College could have unintended consequences, such as leading presidential candidates to ignore voters in smaller states. The board also said a constitutional amendment that would be required to abolish the Electoral College “isn’t about to happen.”
A movement to sidestep the Electoral College has gained steam in recent years.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, together representing 196 Electoral College votes, have signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, agreeing to give all their presidential electors to the candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide.
The compact would go into effect if states representing an additional 74 electoral votes sign onto the compact, bringing their combined representation to 270 electoral votes—the number needed for a candidate to win the White House.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities for this original content, email licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


dailysignal--2020-11-18--Georgia Poll Watcher Explains State’s Recount of Votes for President

Georgia is on America ’ s mind .
At 11:59 p.m. Wednesday , the state is supposed to complete its recount of votes in the presidential election .
Brant Frost V , second vice chairman of Georgia ’ s Republican Party , joins the show to explain the state ’ s recount process and why he is suspicious of the recount in Fulton County , which includes the city of Atlanta .
Frost also describes his own experience as a poll watcher and why Georgia appears to be turning a little more blue with each election .
We also cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee .
• Scott Atlas , a top adviser to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus , counsels families to gather for Thanksgiving if they can .
• Joe Biden identifies who some of his top White House officials would be if he is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States .
Listen to the podcast below or read the lightly edited transcript .
“ The Daily Signal Podcast ” is available on Ricochet , Apple Podcasts , Pippa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our podcasts may be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts .
If you like what you hear , please leave a review .
You also may leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [ email protected ] Virginia Allen : I am joined by Brant Frost , the second vice chair of Georgia ’ s Republican Party .
Brant , welcome to “ The Daily Signal Podcast.
” Brant Frost : Thank you very much .
Allen : Brant , Georgia is on the minds right now of many Americans .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been going through a recount of presidential election votes .
And as of right now , The Associated Press reports that former Vice President Joe Biden is winning Georgia by only about 14,000 votes .
And that ’ s out of about 5 million votes in total from Georgia .
So , both President [ Donald ] Trump and the Republican Party requested that there be a recount in the state because it is so close .
And you actually have been really , really involved in Georgia state politics for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct ?
Frost : Yes .
That is correct .
Mainly since 2008 when I turned 18 .
Allen : OK .
Right as soon as you could , you jumped in .
So tell us a little bit just about how common this is , to see a recount in Georgia .
Is this something that ’ s happened before where we ’ ve seen calls for a presidential recount in the state of Georgia ?
Frost : No , this is very unusual .
This is also the first time we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
Since 2001 , when we began the transition over , we have only used electronic voting with no paper ballots , unless you were voting absentee by mail .
This is the first time we ’ re using our new paper ballots for voting in elections .
And so this is also the first time we ’ re having a recount in a presidential election in Georgia as well .
A lot of firsts in this year .
Also , the first time we ’ ve ever had two Senate elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both went to runoffs .
So it ’ s definitely a year of firsts in Georgia , as in America .
Allen : It is .
It ’ s a big year in the state of Georgia .
You mentioned that transition of going from electronic to paper ballots .
Dominion Voting Systems is the new kind of organization group that Georgia tasked , essentially , with handling the election process , as far as implementing those new machines .
What do you know about Dominion Voting Systems ?
We ’ re hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not credible .
Are you very familiar with them and with the states that have formerly used them ?
Frost : I am not .
So , unlike some other folks , I ’ m not going to pretend to be an expert and talk at length about it .
So I can ’ t speak to that other than to say that in our own county where I was one of the [ people ] observing the electoral process of doing a recanvass—which I should point out is different than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people think when they think [ of ] the word recount .
During recanvass , a particular race goes , and in this case , the presidential election , and all the paper ballots that were cast before Election Day and on Election Day are counted .
And just that one race , just a single race is counted .
The amount of time it would take to recount every single race or recanvass every single race would just be enormous .
So one race is chosen , in this case the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each ballot is counted by hand .
And you have tables set up in a room with two people at each table .
And they will count the votes .
First they will separate them out .
They take a big stack .
They know how many votes are in the box .
Then they ’ ll separate them by candidate they voted for .
Then they will count them out .
Each group will be counted and the amount written down .
And if all those numbers put together of votes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jorgensen , write-in , and indeterminate votes , if those numbers equal to the amount that was on the box originally , then that is considered a successful recanvass .
In Coweta County with over 77,000 votes , it was determined that every single vote cast President Trump indicated by machine was also indicated by a hand count , 51,501 votes , both machine and human count .
For Joe Biden , the same was correct .
However , he added one vote because one Joe Biden voter who apparently did not realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in the name Joe Biden for his absentee ballot .
So the election review board determined that his vote should count as a Joe Biden vote .
And the ballot review board consists of one Republican and one Democrat representative , which I appointed the Republican representatives since I ’ m the chairman of the county party here .
So we did not find a problem with the scanners indicating a massive shift , or indeed any kind of shift whatever , in our county .
But I can ’ t speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t speak to the ethics of the people who run the Fulton County board of elections , for example .
Allen : Sure , sure .
So , Coweta County , where you live and where you were participating in that recount , is , gosh , about little less than an hour south , southwest of the city of Atlanta .
So tell me a little bit more about that experience .
You were there helping to do the recanvassing on both Friday and Saturday .
We ’ ve heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario as it ’ s played out with mail-in votes that people have complained about not being able to get close enough to actually see the ballots .
Was everyone who you were there with able to be close to see the ballots and to all agree , Democrat and Republican , “ Yes , this vote is for this individual ” ?
Frost : Well , the county employees who are poll workers who have been pulled in for this special task , they actually count the votes .
Typically , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican volunteers and Democrat volunteers who are poll workers , but they ’ re not chosen based on their party .
But there ’ s a good chance that one of them is a Republican .
What you have is you take a typical room of about 10 tables .
Depending on the county , there will be either one or two people observing , allowed to walk around and see the process .
Realistically , you can ’ t stand at one table for very long without missing what ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might think it makes more sense to have one observer per counting table watching the process , but the limits that were imposed , and it varies from county to county , were one person for every five tables .
And that ’ s what we had .
You have a room with eight tables , two people counting at each table , and two representatives from both parties are allowed to walk around the floor where the tables are , walk around the floor and stop at places .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disrupt their count , but they are allowed to watch what ’ s going on and keep their own count if they wish .
We also have a lot of observers who are permitted to stand at the back of the room , but they really can ’ t see anything from there .
So basically , each party is permitted two people for every five tables .
Allen : It sounds like Coweta County is a great model for the rest of the state .
You all have really done this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Have you been hearing from other counties in Georgia ?
Have they experienced a similar smooth process or have there been complaints ?
Frost : The recanvass did not indicate any major shift in votes , except for in Floyd County where a computer card was found with some votes from a precinct , which had previously not been counted .
When the voting machines in each precinct print out a ballot , you type it in on a screen , you type in your choices , the ballot is printed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scanner , and then the ballot goes through .
And on the other side , you have a big box , which is locked .
Well , they don ’ t open up the box and count the ballots .
They take the result of the little scanner , so like a USB drive .
Well , one of those drives in Floyd County , and of course it ’ s not a drive , but I just use that an example , was missed .
When they brought in the precinct results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their little chips and draws , one was left , [ it ] had just been not uploaded .
So that recanvass found those extra votes and it added about 2,600 votes to the total statewide .
And we think about two-thirds of them were for President Trump .
Now , if this election were like Florida with a 600-vote margin , that would have been enough to flip the election in President Trump ’ s favor .
But of course , when the margins [ are ] more than 10,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case .
But other than that one example , we did not see any major shifts .
However , the issue really does not come down to a statewide problem .
It comes down to one or two and really about six counties that are all Democrat , all large , all urban .
In particular , one county where there have been very credible accusations that Republican poll watchers at the Fulton County board of elections where they were counting votes were told to go home at a big arena , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Fulton County , that ’ s Atlanta , Georgia .
They were told to go home and they were going to start in the morning .
So , the Republican observers went home at about 10 p.m. And then shortly thereafter , Fulton County started counting their votes again with no Republicans present and then kept counting until about 1 a.m .
So , if there was any kind of illegal voting or any kind of fraudulent ballots being counted , that would certainly have been a time when we just don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And no Republicans were permitted to be there .
No one apparently thought to call them to tell them to come back .
Now , Fulton County is an overwhelmingly Democrat county run top to bottom by Democrats .
The Democrats ’ well-known respect for the integrity of elections can be demonstrated in that they were so distressed over the 2016 election results , though curiously not distressed over the 1960 election results .
And of course we all know very well , the Democrats are well-known pensioned for fair and equitable elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago and where the dead will not only rise again at the second coming , but they rise every four years and vote Democrat .
Allen : It ’ s certainly problematic when we begin to see the number of deceased individuals who are still on those voter rolls in , like you say , a lot of these big cities .
Now , I want to ask a little bit more about this Atlanta situation .
Was there any explanation given by the mayor of Atlanta , by those that were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how this error was made , that Republicans were sent home and then still ballots were continued to be counted late into the night ?
Frost : Everyone has an excuse .
I don ’ t know if it ’ s a good one , but everyone has an excuse .
Every child caught with their hand in the cookie jar has a good reason , or at least a reason why they were doing it .
Whether or not anyone believes them and it saves them from punishment is another matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so it ’ s hard to say which one is the correct one .
There ’ s talk about a major water leakage , a pipe burst .
There ’ s talk about how the secretary of state and others were asking for them to continue the count , because after all , 10 p.m. is rather early to stop counting votes , particularly in an election as close as this and with Georgia being a swing state .
So there were calls for them to come back … and at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stressful situation , someone can always claim that , “ Well , I just forgot , ” or , “ It slipped through the cracks to remind everybody to come back.
” So it ’ s very difficult to prove malice of intent .
Allen : Sure , sure .
So , do you foresee any situation where all other Georgia counties [ are ] given the green light , but Fulton County , that Atlanta county , has said , “ Let ’ s double check this and let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Or is that probably not possible ?
Frost : Unfortunately , today it is very difficult , as in previous times , to , after the fact , detect voter fraud and malfeasance for the simple fact that a ballot can not be pulled out of the stack once it ’ s stuck into it .
In other words , you may have an illegally cast vote or 1,000 of them , but to look at them , they don ’ t look any different than any other ballot .
They do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on them .
They do not have a bright neon sticker that says , “ Hey , I ’ m a fake vote.
” They look like anyone else ’ s vote .
And it is impossible to identify them once they ’ d been cast in with all the legitimate votes .
Allen : Let ’ s talk just for a moment about Georgia as a whole .
I lived in Georgia for a number of years .
Went to high school there .
And back in 2010 , 2011 , Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
So , Brant , what has happened ?
As someone who ’ s been so involved in Georgia politics and policy for so long , what has happened in your state to where now it ’ s definitely solidly a swing state ?
Frost : You have to remember that the Democrat Party in Georgia had been living off the residual effects of over 100 years of domination in our state politics .
We hadn ’ t had a Republican governor since 1872 .
So by the 1990s , there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And starting in 1992 , the Republicans had a major surge with every two years , we gained substantially in the state Legislature .
We gained congressional delegations .
We took control of the majority of the Congress from Georgia in 1994 .
And we came very close to winning the governor ’ s race in 1994 .
And as a result , the Republicans continued to build up and gain in strength and momentum .
And the Democrats , without a strong grassroots base , because they ’ d been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they hadn ’ t felt the need to have one .
As a result , the Republicans in 2002 , in a big upset , won the governor ’ s race .
Many people expected Republicans to be competitive in 2006 for the governor ’ s race , in 1998 , but we lost in ’ 98 .
And in 2002 , it was thought that Gov .
Roy Barnes was too hard to beat , but Sonny Perdue , who is now agricultural secretary in the Trump Administration , actually defeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barnes .
And ever since 2002 , the Republican Party has been very strong in Georgia , has dominated statewide politics , won every governor ’ s race , won every Senate election , and won every constitutional officer starting in 2010 .
But that obscured … two major factors : Lack of funding and resources for the Democrats and the fact that the Obama presidency destroyed most of the Democrat Party in the South .
Across the South , you saw from states like Arkansas and Oklahoma to West Virginia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seat largely as a result of the unpopularity of the Obama administration .
So when you consider that from 2008 to 2016 , Republicans had great years in Georgia , you have to realize that that was during the Obama presidency and the fact that the Democrat Party had no real operation capable of contesting Georgia .
But starting in 2013 , the Democrats began to rebuild their effort .
Stacey Abrams was a major leader in that effort .
And since 2013 , they have spent seven years rebuilding .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a situation where they ’ re able to compete with us .
Georgia ’ s demographics are largely the same as they were four years ago .
In fact , exit poll data indicates that on key levels , it ’ s almost exactly the same .
The difference is that the Democrat Party is more well-equipped , better funded , and able to compete .
And they also believe they can win in Georgia .
Four years ago , they saw Georgia as a possible bonus , but they didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state like they did this year .
The Republican Party , until recently , has also not been as prepared as it might be , largely due to the fact that the Democrats appeared to be weak .
So why do you have to train extra hard to fight an opponent who seems weak and easy to defeat ?
Fortunately , last year , when I was elected vice chairman , we also elected a new chairman , David Shafer , former state senator and former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to basically accomplish the work of about four years in less than 18 months .
And since he was elected , we ’ ve trained over 13,000 volunteers , we ’ ve held voter drives around the state , we ’ ve knocked on over a million , I believe it ’ s over 2 million doors now , and we ’ ve made millions of phone calls .
This is more than any the Republican Party has done in Georgia in any two presidential elections combined , going back for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to see the outpouring of support since the November election right here .
You would think people would be discouraged , but actually it ’ s caused people to sign up and volunteer and to do their part because there is so much that we have seen in the last few weeks with Democrats talking about moving to Georgia that has inspired Republicans to become more active and to do more because you saw so many Republicans feel that Georgia was a safe state and they took it for granted .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican who might have , if they lived in Florida or Ohio , have gone out and volunteered , maybe knocked on some doors or made some calls .
But because they felt they were in a safe red state , they did not do what they could have done .
The scales have fallen from people ’ s eyes .
They now realize they have to fight because Georgia is a swing state , as much as Florida ever was .
Indeed , if you look at the results , Georgia was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So in some ways , Florida is now a pink state leaning red and Ohio is a red state , but North Carolina and Georgia are swing states .
So we have to take that into consideration .
But we are prepared to meet the challenge .
We have thousands of people all over the country who are offering to come on their own expense to volunteer to help in these efforts in Georgia , in the upcoming runoffs .
So we ’ re very encouraged .
And I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences in Georgia are not so much due to changes in demographics , although we have seen some of that , but mainly due to the fact that up until recently only one political party was actually playing to win and the other party did not have the resources to compete , much like a major athletic event where you have two teams at a baseball or basketball game .
And in a major sporting event , one team is obviously better funded , has better players , has the resources to hire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re going to roll over their opponents because they simply are outclassing them .
Now that the two parties are much more evenly classed , you see Georgia being what it truly is , a competitive state .
Allen : Brant , we just so appreciate your time today .
It ’ s just fascinating to hear some of this history and get into a little bit of just the details of what is happening on the ground in Georgia , what you ’ re seeing , what you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the show .

Georgia is on America’s mind. At 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, the state is supposed to complete its recount of votes in the presidential election.
Brant Frost V, second vice chairman of Georgia’s Republican Party, joins the show to explain the state’s recount process and why he is suspicious of the recount in Fulton County, which includes the city of Atlanta. Frost also describes his own experience as a poll watcher and why Georgia appears to be turning a little more blue with each election.
We also cover these stories:
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Scott Atlas, a top adviser to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus, counsels families to gather for Thanksgiving if they can.
Joe Biden identifies who some of his top White House officials would be if he is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States.
Listen to the podcast below or read the lightly edited transcript.
“The Daily Signal Podcast” is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Pippa, Google Play, and Stitcher. All of our podcasts may be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You also may leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at letters@dailysignal.com.
Virginia Allen: I am joined by Brant Frost, the second vice chair of Georgia’s Republican Party. Brant, welcome to “The Daily Signal Podcast.”
Brant Frost: Thank you very much.
Allen: Brant, Georgia is on the minds right now of many Americans. And over the past several days, Georgia has been going through a recount of presidential election votes. And as of right now, The Associated Press reports that former Vice President Joe Biden is winning Georgia by only about 14,000 votes. And that’s out of about 5 million votes in total from Georgia.
So, both President [Donald] Trump and the Republican Party requested that there be a recount in the state because it is so close. And you actually have been really, really involved in Georgia state politics for a long time. Probably a decade, correct?
Frost: Yes. That is correct. Mainly since 2008 when I turned 18.
Allen: OK. Right as soon as you could, you jumped in. So tell us a little bit just about how common this is, to see a recount in Georgia. Is this something that’s happened before where we’ve seen calls for a presidential recount in the state of Georgia?
Frost: No, this is very unusual. This is also the first time we’re using our new paper ballot system. Since 2001, when we began the transition over, we have only used electronic voting with no paper ballots, unless you were voting absentee by mail. This is the first time we’re using our new paper ballots for voting in elections.
And so this is also the first time we’re having a recount in a presidential election in Georgia as well. A lot of firsts in this year. Also, the first time we’ve ever had two Senate elections at the same time as well that both went to runoffs. So it’s definitely a year of firsts in Georgia, as in America.
Allen: It is. It’s a big year in the state of Georgia.
You mentioned that transition of going from electronic to paper ballots. Dominion Voting Systems is the new kind of organization group that Georgia tasked, essentially, with handling the election process, as far as implementing those new machines.
What do you know about Dominion Voting Systems? We’re hearing a lot about maybe how they’re not credible. Are you very familiar with them and with the states that have formerly used them?
Frost: I am not. So, unlike some other folks, I’m not going to pretend to be an expert and talk at length about it. So I can’t speak to that other than to say that in our own county where I was one of the [people] observing the electoral process of doing a recanvass—which I should point out is different than a recount.
A recanvass is what most people think when they think [of] the word recount. During recanvass, a particular race goes, and in this case, the presidential election, and all the paper ballots that were cast before Election Day and on Election Day are counted. And just that one race, just a single race is counted.
The amount of time it would take to recount every single race or recanvass every single race would just be enormous.
So one race is chosen, in this case the presidential election, for obvious reasons. And each ballot is counted by hand. And you have tables set up in a room with two people at each table. And they will count the votes.
First they will separate them out. They take a big stack. They know how many votes are in the box. Then they’ll separate them by candidate they voted for. Then they will count them out.
Each group will be counted and the amount written down. And if all those numbers put together of votes for Biden, Trump, [Jo] Jorgensen, write-in, and indeterminate votes, if those numbers equal to the amount that was on the box originally, then that is considered a successful recanvass.
In Coweta County with over 77,000 votes, it was determined that every single vote cast President Trump indicated by machine was also indicated by a hand count, 51,501 votes, both machine and human count. For Joe Biden, the same was correct.
However, he added one vote because one Joe Biden voter who apparently did not realize that Joseph R. Biden was Joe Biden wrote in the name Joe Biden for his absentee ballot. So the election review board determined that his vote should count as a Joe Biden vote.
And the ballot review board consists of one Republican and one Democrat representative, which I appointed the Republican representatives since I’m the chairman of the county party here.
So we did not find a problem with the scanners indicating a massive shift, or indeed any kind of shift whatever, in our county. But I can’t speak to other counties. And I certainly can’t speak to the ethics of the people who run the Fulton County board of elections, for example.
Allen: Sure, sure. So, Coweta County, where you live and where you were participating in that recount, is, gosh, about little less than an hour south, southwest of the city of Atlanta. So tell me a little bit more about that experience. You were there helping to do the recanvassing on both Friday and Saturday.
We’ve heard a lot during this kind of poll-watching scenario as it’s played out with mail-in votes that people have complained about not being able to get close enough to actually see the ballots. Was everyone who you were there with able to be close to see the ballots and to all agree, Democrat and Republican, “Yes, this vote is for this individual”?
Frost: Well, the county employees who are poll workers who have been pulled in for this special task, they actually count the votes.
Typically, you will find a fairly even mix of Republican volunteers and Democrat volunteers who are poll workers, but they’re not chosen based on their party. But there’s a good chance that one of them is a Republican.
What you have is you take a typical room of about 10 tables. Depending on the county, there will be either one or two people observing, allowed to walk around and see the process. Realistically, you can’t stand at one table for very long without missing what’s going on at other tables.
Some people might think it makes more sense to have one observer per counting table watching the process, but the limits that were imposed, and it varies from county to county, were one person for every five tables. And that’s what we had.
You have a room with eight tables, two people counting at each table, and two representatives from both parties are allowed to walk around the floor where the tables are, walk around the floor and stop at places. They’re not allowed to speak to the counters and disrupt their count, but they are allowed to watch what’s going on and keep their own count if they wish.
We also have a lot of observers who are permitted to stand at the back of the room, but they really can’t see anything from there. So basically, each party is permitted two people for every five tables.
Allen: It sounds like Coweta County is a great model for the rest of the state. You all have really done this quite well. It sounds very organized.
Have you been hearing from other counties in Georgia? Have they experienced a similar smooth process or have there been complaints?
Frost: The recanvass did not indicate any major shift in votes, except for in Floyd County where a computer card was found with some votes from a precinct, which had previously not been counted.
When the voting machines in each precinct print out a ballot, you type it in on a screen, you type in your choices, the ballot is printed, and then you scan it through a scanner, and then the ballot goes through. And on the other side, you have a big box, which is locked. Well, they don’t open up the box and count the ballots. They take the result of the little scanner, so like a USB drive.
Well, one of those drives in Floyd County, and of course it’s not a drive, but I just use that an example, was missed. When they brought in the precinct results, each precinct brought in their box and their little chips and draws, one was left, [it] had just been not uploaded.
So that recanvass found those extra votes and it added about 2,600 votes to the total statewide. And we think about two-thirds of them were for President Trump.
Now, if this election were like Florida with a 600-vote margin, that would have been enough to flip the election in President Trump’s favor. But of course, when the margins [are] more than 10,000, that’s not going to be the case.
But other than that one example, we did not see any major shifts. However, the issue really does not come down to a statewide problem. It comes down to one or two and really about six counties that are all Democrat, all large, all urban.
In particular, one county where there have been very credible accusations that Republican poll watchers at the Fulton County board of elections where they were counting votes were told to go home at a big arena, because it’s a huge process in Fulton County, that’s Atlanta, Georgia. They were told to go home and they were going to start in the morning.
So, the Republican observers went home at about 10 p.m. And then shortly thereafter, Fulton County started counting their votes again with no Republicans present and then kept counting until about 1 a.m.
So, if there was any kind of illegal voting or any kind of fraudulent ballots being counted, that would certainly have been a time when we just don’t know what was happening. And no Republicans were permitted to be there. No one apparently thought to call them to tell them to come back.
Now, Fulton County is an overwhelmingly Democrat county run top to bottom by Democrats. The Democrats’ well-known respect for the integrity of elections can be demonstrated in that they were so distressed over the 2016 election results, though curiously not distressed over the 1960 election results.
And of course we all know very well, the Democrats are well-known pensioned for fair and equitable elections in big cities like New York and Chicago and where the dead will not only rise again at the second coming, but they rise every four years and vote Democrat.
Allen: It’s certainly problematic when we begin to see the number of deceased individuals who are still on those voter rolls in, like you say, a lot of these big cities.
Now, I want to ask a little bit more about this Atlanta situation. Was there any explanation given by the mayor of Atlanta, by those that were in charge overseeing that polling location, as to how this error was made, that Republicans were sent home and then still ballots were continued to be counted late into the night?
Frost: Everyone has an excuse. I don’t know if it’s a good one, but everyone has an excuse. Every child caught with their hand in the cookie jar has a good reason, or at least a reason why they were doing it. Whether or not anyone believes them and it saves them from punishment is another matter altogether.
There have been multiple explanations and so it’s hard to say which one is the correct one. There’s talk about a major water leakage, a pipe burst. There’s talk about how the secretary of state and others were asking for them to continue the count, because after all, 10 p.m. is rather early to stop counting votes, particularly in an election as close as this and with Georgia being a swing state.
So there were calls for them to come back … and at least a plausible deniability situation where under such a stressful situation, someone can always claim that, “Well, I just forgot,” or, “It slipped through the cracks to remind everybody to come back.” So it’s very difficult to prove malice of intent.
Allen: Sure, sure. So, do you foresee any situation where all other Georgia counties [are] given the green light, but Fulton County, that Atlanta county, has said, “Let’s double check this and let’s recount this county one more time”? Or is that probably not possible?
Frost: Unfortunately, today it is very difficult, as in previous times, to, after the fact, detect voter fraud and malfeasance for the simple fact that a ballot cannot be pulled out of the stack once it’s stuck into it.
In other words, you may have an illegally cast vote or 1,000 of them, but to look at them, they don’t look any different than any other ballot. They do not have a person’s name on them. They do not have a bright neon sticker that says, “Hey, I’m a fake vote.” They look like anyone else’s vote. And it is impossible to identify them once they’d been cast in with all the legitimate votes.
Allen: Let’s talk just for a moment about Georgia as a whole. I lived in Georgia for a number of years. Went to high school there. And back in 2010, 2011, Georgia really was a solidly red, conservative state.
So, Brant, what has happened? As someone who’s been so involved in Georgia politics and policy for so long, what has happened in your state to where now it’s definitely solidly a swing state?
Frost: You have to remember that the Democrat Party in Georgia had been living off the residual effects of over 100 years of domination in our state politics. We hadn’t had a Republican governor since 1872. So by the 1990s, there was a definite shift beginning in Georgia politics.
And starting in 1992, the Republicans had a major surge with every two years, we gained substantially in the state Legislature. We gained congressional delegations. We took control of the majority of the Congress from Georgia in 1994. And we came very close to winning the governor’s race in 1994.
And as a result, the Republicans continued to build up and gain in strength and momentum. And the Democrats, without a strong grassroots base, because they’d been in power for so long it had atrophied, they hadn’t felt the need to have one. As a result, the Republicans in 2002, in a big upset, won the governor’s race.
Many people expected Republicans to be competitive in 2006 for the governor’s race, in 1998, but we lost in ’98. And in 2002, it was thought that Gov. Roy Barnes was too hard to beat, but Sonny Perdue, who is now agricultural secretary in the Trump Administration, actually defeated, in a big upset, Gov. Barnes.
And ever since 2002, the Republican Party has been very strong in Georgia, has dominated statewide politics, won every governor’s race, won every Senate election, and won every constitutional officer starting in 2010.
But that obscured … two major factors: Lack of funding and resources for the Democrats and the fact that the Obama presidency destroyed most of the Democrat Party in the South.
Across the South, you saw from states like Arkansas and Oklahoma to West Virginia and Kentucky, Democrat candidates going down to the seat largely as a result of the unpopularity of the Obama administration.
So when you consider that from 2008 to 2016, Republicans had great years in Georgia, you have to realize that that was during the Obama presidency and the fact that the Democrat Party had no real operation capable of contesting Georgia.
But starting in 2013, the Democrats began to rebuild their effort. Stacey Abrams was a major leader in that effort. And since 2013, they have spent seven years rebuilding. And to today, we now find ourselves in a situation where they’re able to compete with us.
Georgia’s demographics are largely the same as they were four years ago. In fact, exit poll data indicates that on key levels, it’s almost exactly the same. The difference is that the Democrat Party is more well-equipped, better funded, and able to compete.
And they also believe they can win in Georgia. Four years ago, they saw Georgia as a possible bonus, but they didn’t see it as a major target state like they did this year.
The Republican Party, until recently, has also not been as prepared as it might be, largely due to the fact that the Democrats appeared to be weak. So why do you have to train extra hard to fight an opponent who seems weak and easy to defeat?
Fortunately, last year, when I was elected vice chairman, we also elected a new chairman, David Shafer, former state senator and former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party, under whose leadership we have been able to basically accomplish the work of about four years in less than 18 months.
And since he was elected, we’ve trained over 13,000 volunteers, we’ve held voter drives around the state, we’ve knocked on over a million, I believe it’s over 2 million doors now, and we’ve made millions of phone calls.
This is more than any the Republican Party has done in Georgia in any two presidential elections combined, going back for many cycles. So we have been very encouraged to see the outpouring of support since the November election right here.
You would think people would be discouraged, but actually it’s caused people to sign up and volunteer and to do their part because there is so much that we have seen in the last few weeks with Democrats talking about moving to Georgia that has inspired Republicans to become more active and to do more because you saw so many Republicans feel that Georgia was a safe state and they took it for granted.
Not our leadership, but just a rank-and-file Republican who might have, if they lived in Florida or Ohio, have gone out and volunteered, maybe knocked on some doors or made some calls. But because they felt they were in a safe red state, they did not do what they could have done.
The scales have fallen from people’s eyes. They now realize they have to fight because Georgia is a swing state, as much as Florida ever was.
Indeed, if you look at the results, Georgia was much closer than Florida or Ohio. So in some ways, Florida is now a pink state leaning red and Ohio is a red state, but North Carolina and Georgia are swing states. So we have to take that into consideration.
But we are prepared to meet the challenge. We have thousands of people all over the country who are offering to come on their own expense to volunteer to help in these efforts in Georgia, in the upcoming runoffs. So we’re very encouraged.
And I think it’s important for people to realize that the differences in Georgia are not so much due to changes in demographics, although we have seen some of that, but mainly due to the fact that up until recently only one political party was actually playing to win and the other party did not have the resources to compete, much like a major athletic event where you have two teams at a baseball or basketball game.
And in a major sporting event, one team is obviously better funded, has better players, has the resources to hire the best coaches and such, and they’re going to roll over their opponents because they simply are outclassing them.
Now that the two parties are much more evenly classed, you see Georgia being what it truly is, a competitive state.
Allen: Brant, we just so appreciate your time today. It’s just fascinating to hear some of this history and get into a little bit of just the details of what is happening on the ground in Georgia, what you’re seeing, what you’ve experienced. Thank you so much for joining the show.
Frost: Thank you.


dailysignal--2020-11-18--Georgia Recount a Test for Dominion Voting Systems’ Reliability

The Georgia election recount will not only determine whether former Vice President Joe Biden or President Donald Trump captures the state ’ s 16 electoral votes , but also will either help corroborate or debunk voter fraud claims made against Dominion Voting Systems .
Trump alleges Dominion Voting Systems , and the voting machines the election technology supplier uses , are responsible for widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election .
In a tweet Nov. 12 , the president claimed that Dominion Voting Systems had deleted 2.7 million Trump votes .
And on Monday , Trump tweeted that “ Dominion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The vote-counting machine company is based in Denver and Toronto , and supplies machines to 28 states across the country , including six of the most hotly contested states , Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , North Carolina , and Pennsylvania , according to its website .
Dominion machines were used in all 159 Georgia counties for the first time in 2020 .
The new voting system caused some confusion during Georgia ’ s June primary as poll workers struggled to learn how to operate the machines , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the confusion , Dominion Voting Systems sent about 900 technology workers to Georgia polls to ensure everything ran smoothly on Nov. 3 , the Journal reported .
Despite the deployment of the tech workers , several Georgia counties experienced issues with the Dominion machines on Election Day .
In Morgan County , 60 miles east of Atlanta , and in Spalding County , 40 miles south of Atlanta , a glitch in the machines meant that voters could not cast electronic ballots for about two hours .
Gwinnett County , 30 miles northeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of votes due to a “ bad data card , ” The Daily Signal reported .
The Associated Press reported that Biden had a lead of a little more than 14,000 votes over Trump in the Peach State heading into the recount .
Just under 5 million Georgians voted in the 2020 presidential election .
The narrow lead Biden holds in Georgia caused both Trump and the state ’ s Republican Party to request a recount of votes by hand .
The recount began on Friday and is scheduled to be completed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is closely watching the results of Georgia ’ s hand recount .
And for good reason , ” Thomas Binion , vice president of government relations at The Heritage Foundation , told The Daily Signal in an email Tuesday .
Last week , The Daily Signal reported that in 2014 , Dominion Voting Systems donated between $ 25,000 and $ 50,000 to the Clinton Foundation , which is run by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
The company also works with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nadeam Elshami , a former chief of staff to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. Those affiliations could be seen as a conflict of interest , Ty McCoy , a former assistant secretary of the Air Force , who is vice chairman of the Cyber , Space & Intelligence Association , told The Daily Signal last week .
Texas has refused to buy and use Dominion Voting Systems machines due to concerns over “ multiple hardware and software issues , ” according to the Texas Secretary of State ’ s Office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suite 5.5-A system in 2019 , but the examiner ’ s report raised “ concerns about whether [ it ] … is suitable for its intended purpose ; operates efficiently and accurately ; and is safe from fraudulent or unauthorized manipulation.
” Sidney Powell , one of Trump ’ s attorneys , appeared on Fox News on Sunday morning to explain the legal case being brought against Dominion .
Powell claims that Dominion ’ s software is vulnerable to fraud because “ they can remote-access anything .
They can watch votes in real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real time.
” She added that Trump ’ s legal team has “ identified mathematically the exact algorithm they used and planned to use from the beginning to modify the votes in this case to make sure Biden won.
” Powell told Fox that she is confident that she and the rest of the president ’ s lawyers will be able to prove in court that software used by Dominion led to vote fraud during the 2020 election .
“ Dominion does not administer or oversee the elections process , ” Kay Stimson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dominion Voting Systems , told The Daily Signal in an email Tuesday .
The company has the highest commitment to election integrity , Stimson said , adding : On Monday evening , 2,600 uncounted votes were discovered in Floyd County , Georgia , about 70 miles northwest of Atlanta .
Georgia Secretary of State ’ s Office election official Gabriel Sterling blamed the uncounted votes on human error and added that the newly found ballots changed the vote margin in Trump ’ s favor by 800 .
Then , on Tuesday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncovered 2,755 votes that were not included in the initial count , Atlanta ’ s WSB-TV Channel 2 reported .
Of those , 1,577 were for Trump and 1,128 were for Biden , it said , reducing Biden ’ s edge in the state by 449 votes and leaving him ahead of Trump by 12,929 votes .
Trump and Georgia Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler have all criticized Brad Raffensperger , Georgia ’ s Republican secretary of state , for his handling of the 2020 election .
Last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state to step down for failing “ to deliver honest and transparent elections.
” Rejecting the calls for his resignation , Raffensperger has continued to push back on claims of voter fraud in the state .
In a series of Facebook posts Sunday , he touted the additional measures that have been implemented in Georgia to ensure election integrity .
“ First thing I did as Secretary of State ?
Banned ballot harvesting .
My proposal .
We passed it in 2019 , ” he wrote , adding : “ Truth matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Georgia recount are expected to be known early Thursday morning .

The Georgia election recount will not only determine whether former Vice President Joe Biden or President Donald Trump captures the state’s 16 electoral votes, but also will either help corroborate or debunk voter fraud claims made against Dominion Voting Systems.
Trump alleges Dominion Voting Systems, and the voting machines the election technology supplier uses, are responsible for widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election.
In a tweet Nov. 12, the president claimed that Dominion Voting Systems had deleted 2.7 million Trump votes.
“REPORT: DOMINION DELETED 2.7 MILLION TRUMP VOTES NATIONWIDE. DATA ANALYSIS FINDS 221,000 PENNSYLVANIA VOTES SWITCHED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BIDEN. 941,000 TRUMP VOTES DELETED. STATES USING DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS SWITCHED 435,000 VOTES FROM TRUMP TO BIDEN.” @ChanelRion @OANN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2020
And on Monday, Trump tweeted that “Dominion is running our Election. Rigged!”
The vote-counting machine company is based in Denver and Toronto, and supplies machines to 28 states across the country, including six of the most hotly contested states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to its website.
Dominion machines were used in all 159 Georgia counties for the first time in 2020. The new voting system caused some confusion during Georgia’s June primary as poll workers struggled to learn how to operate the machines, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Due to the confusion, Dominion Voting Systems sent about 900 technology workers to Georgia polls to ensure everything ran smoothly on Nov. 3, the Journal reported.
Despite the deployment of the tech workers, several Georgia counties experienced issues with the Dominion machines on Election Day.
In Morgan County, 60 miles east of Atlanta, and in Spalding County, 40 miles south of Atlanta, a glitch in the machines meant that voters could not cast electronic ballots for about two hours.
Gwinnett County, 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, experienced delays in recording of votes due to a “bad data card,” The Daily Signal reported.
The Associated Press reported that Biden had a lead of a little more than 14,000 votes over Trump in the Peach State heading into the recount. Just under 5 million Georgians voted in the 2020 presidential election.
The narrow lead Biden holds in Georgia caused both Trump and the state’s Republican Party to request a recount of votes by hand. The recount began on Friday and is scheduled to be completed by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
“The country is closely watching the results of Georgia’s hand recount. And for good reason,” Thomas Binion, vice president of government relations at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal in an email Tuesday.
Binion added:
Many are worried about the Dominion Voting Systems machines and whether they tampered with the vote results. If those results do not match the machine count, the investigation and audit of the machines need to begin immediately. If they do match, we can rest a little easier about the credibility of the machines.
Last week, The Daily Signal reported that in 2014, Dominion Voting Systems donated between $25,000 and $50,000 to the Clinton Foundation, which is run by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The company also works with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, a law and lobbying firm that employs Nadeam Elshami, a former chief of staff to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Those affiliations could be seen as a conflict of interest, Ty McCoy, a former assistant secretary of the Air Force, who is vice chairman of the Cyber, Space & Intelligence Association, told The Daily Signal last week.
Texas has refused to buy and use Dominion Voting Systems machines due to concerns over “multiple hardware and software issues,” according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
Texas tested the company’s Democracy Suite 5.5-A system in 2019, but the examiner’s report raised “concerns about whether [it] … is suitable for its intended purpose; operates efficiently and accurately; and is safe from fraudulent or unauthorized manipulation.”
Sidney Powell, one of Trump’s attorneys, appeared on Fox News on Sunday morning to explain the legal case being brought against Dominion.
Powell claims that Dominion’s software is vulnerable to fraud because “they can remote-access anything. They can watch votes in real time. They can shift votes in real time.”
She added that Trump’s legal team has “identified mathematically the exact algorithm they used and planned to use from the beginning to modify the votes in this case to make sure Biden won.”
Powell told Fox that she is confident that she and the rest of the president’s lawyers will be able to prove in court that software used by Dominion led to vote fraud during the 2020 election.
“Dominion does not administer or oversee the elections process,” Kay Stimson, vice president of government affairs at Dominion Voting Systems, told The Daily Signal in an email Tuesday.
The company has the highest commitment to election integrity, Stimson said, adding:
Dominion is fully committed to ensuring that Americans are confident in the accuracy and reliability of our voting systems. We are grateful to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office and other chief state election officials across the nation, who continue to push back against false claims about election integrity, and seek to reassure the public that recounts and results-certification efforts are proceeding with accuracy and reliability.
On Monday evening, 2,600 uncounted votes were discovered in Floyd County, Georgia, about 70 miles northwest of Atlanta. Georgia Secretary of State’s Office election official Gabriel Sterling blamed the uncounted votes on human error and added that the newly found ballots changed the vote margin in Trump’s favor by 800.
Then, on Tuesday afternoon, during the hand recount, Fayette County uncovered 2,755 votes that were not included in the initial count, Atlanta’s WSB-TV Channel 2 reported. Of those, 1,577 were for Trump and 1,128 were for Biden, it said, reducing Biden’s edge in the state by 449 votes and leaving him ahead of Trump by 12,929 votes.
Trump and Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler have all criticized Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, for his handling of the 2020 election. Last week, Perdue and Loeffler called on the secretary of state to step down for failing “to deliver honest and transparent elections.”
Rejecting the calls for his resignation, Raffensperger has continued to push back on claims of voter fraud in the state. In a series of Facebook posts Sunday, he touted the additional measures that have been implemented in Georgia to ensure election integrity.
“First thing I did as Secretary of State? Banned ballot harvesting. My proposal. We passed it in 2019,” he wrote, adding: “Truth matters. Integrity matters.”
The final results of the Georgia recount are expected to be known early Thursday morning.


dailysignal--2020-11-18--Amid Election Recount, 4 Things to Know About Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

As Georgia conducts a recount of its presidential vote that has become the focus of national attention , Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—Georgia ’ s elections official in charge of certifying the hotly contested results—has come under increased scrutiny and criticism .
Here are four things to know about Raffensperger : 1 .
He was elected Georgia secretary of state in 2018 .
As Georgia ’ s chief elections official , Raffensperger , 65 , oversees all aspects of the election process , investigates claims of election fraud , and enforces state election laws .
Raffensperger ’ s office also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records , including records of past and current elections , voter registration data , and voter history files .
He is in charge of certifying the results of the general election as well as of the state ’ s party primaries .
Raffensperger , a Republican , was popularly elected to serve as secretary of state in 2018 , and his term runs until early 2023 .
Georgia is one of 35 states that directly elects its secretary of state .
( In 12 other states , the secretary of state is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or by the state legislature .
Three states have no secretary of state position . )
2 .
He served two terms in the Georgia General Assembly .
Raffensperger , a certified professional engineer who owns a specialty contracting and engineering design firm and two specialty steel manufacturing plants , represented District 50 in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019 .
During his time in the Georgia House of Representatives , he supported strengthening voter ID laws and improving paper ballot verification .
“ Only legal American citizens should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his 2018 campaign website .
3 .
He ’ s been criticized by fellow Republicans .
In response to a tweet by President Donald Trump alleging election fraud with mail-in ballots in Georgia , Raffensperger defended his handling of the election process , claiming that Georgia strengthened absentee ballot signature matching in 2020 and outlawed ballot harvesting in 2019 under his leadership .
“ The state of Georgia strengthened signature match this year .
Elections officials received [ Georgia Bureau of Investigation ] signature-match training , requiring a confirmed match **twice** before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Raffensperger ’ s role as the top elections official in a hotly disputed battleground state has made him the target of attacks from within his own party .
Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia—both of them fellow Republicans—have accused Raffensperger of election “ mismanagement and lack of transparency ” and demanded his resignation .
In response to Loeffler and Perdue ’ s calls for his resignation on Nov. 9 , Raffensperger defended the integrity of Georgia ’ s election process , adding that the state is recognized as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to elections .
[ Georgia ] was the first state in the country to implement the trifecta of automatic voter registration , at least 16 days of early voting ( which has been called the ‘ gold standard ’ ) , and no-excuse absentee voting .
Georgia continues to set records for voter turnout and election participation , seeing the largest increase in average turnout of any other state in the 2018 midterm election and record primary turnout in 2020 , with over 1.1 million absentee by mail voters and over 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , secure , paper-ballot voting system .
He emphatically rejected calls for his resignation .
In the highly contested presidential race for Georgia ’ s 16 electoral votes , former Vice President Joe Biden apparently prevailed over Trump by an exceedingly narrow margin of just over 14,000 votes .
That ’ s about 0.3 % out of nearly 5 million votes cast .
Since the margin fell below the 0.5 % threshold for initiating a recount in Georgia , state law allows for a candidate to request one .
The Trump team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was approved by Raffensperger the next day .
“ This will help build confidence .
It will be an audit , a recount , and a recanvass all at once , ” Raffensperger explained in an interview with ABC News .
“ It will be a heavy lift , but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for our state certification.
” “ It ’ ll be a methodical process , and it will be an accurate process , and I ’ m sure that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to make sure that both parties have the opportunity to observe this , because we understand the stakes are high , ” he said .

As Georgia conducts a recount of its presidential vote that has become the focus of national attention, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—Georgia’s elections official in charge of certifying the hotly contested results—has come under increased scrutiny and criticism.
Here are four things to know about Raffensperger:
1. He was elected Georgia secretary of state in 2018.
As Georgia’s chief elections official, Raffensperger, 65, oversees all aspects of the election process, investigates claims of election fraud, and enforces state election laws.
Raffensperger’s office also maintains the state’s public voting records, including records of past and current elections, voter registration data, and voter history files. He is in charge of certifying the results of the general election as well as of the state’s party primaries.
Raffensperger, a Republican, was popularly elected to serve as secretary of state in 2018, and his term runs until early 2023. Georgia is one of 35 states that directly elects its secretary of state. (In 12 other states, the secretary of state is an appointed position, chosen by the governor or by the state legislature. Three states have no secretary of state position.)
2. He served two terms in the Georgia General Assembly.
Raffensperger, a certified professional engineer who owns a specialty contracting and engineering design firm and two specialty steel manufacturing plants, represented District 50 in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.
During his time in the Georgia House of Representatives, he supported strengthening voter ID laws and improving paper ballot verification.
“Only legal American citizens should be allowed to vote,” he wrote on his 2018 campaign website.
3. He’s been criticized by fellow Republicans.
In response to a tweet by President Donald Trump alleging election fraud with mail-in ballots in Georgia, Raffensperger defended his handling of the election process, claiming that Georgia strengthened absentee ballot signature matching in 2020 and outlawed ballot harvesting in 2019 under his leadership.
“The state of Georgia strengthened signature match this year. Elections officials received [Georgia Bureau of Investigation] signature-match training, requiring a confirmed match **twice** before a ballot is cast,” Raffensperger said.
Raffensperger’s role as the top elections official in a hotly disputed battleground state has made him the target of attacks from within his own party. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia—both of them fellow Republicans—have accused Raffensperger of election “mismanagement and lack of transparency” and demanded his resignation.
In response to Loeffler and Perdue’s calls for his resignation on Nov. 9, Raffensperger defended the integrity of Georgia’s election process, adding that the state is recognized as a “national leader” when it comes to elections.
[Georgia] was the first state in the country to implement the trifecta of automatic voter registration, at least 16 days of early voting (which has been called the ‘gold standard’), and no-excuse absentee voting. Georgia continues to set records for voter turnout and election participation, seeing the largest increase in average turnout of any other state in the 2018 midterm election and record primary turnout in 2020, with over 1.1 million absentee by mail voters and over 1.2 million in-person voters utilizing Georgia’s new, secure, paper-ballot voting system.
He emphatically rejected calls for his resignation.
4. He authorized a hand recount of Georgia’s ballots.
In the highly contested presidential race for Georgia’s 16 electoral votes, former Vice President Joe Biden apparently prevailed over Trump by an exceedingly narrow margin of just over 14,000 votes. That’s about 0.3% out of nearly 5 million votes cast.
Since the margin fell below the 0.5% threshold for initiating a recount in Georgia, state law allows for a candidate to request one. The Trump team requested a hand recount on Nov. 10, which was approved by Raffensperger the next day.
“This will help build confidence. It will be an audit, a recount, and a recanvass all at once,” Raffensperger explained in an interview with ABC News. “It will be a heavy lift, but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for our state certification.”
“It’ll be a methodical process, and it will be an accurate process, and I’m sure that there will be plenty of oversight. We want to make sure that both parties have the opportunity to observe this, because we understand the stakes are high,” he said.


dailysignal--2020-11-18--Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Who Pushed for Nationwide Mask Mandate, Seen Maskless in Public

Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , chatted with her aides maskless in the corridors of a government building before entering a Tuesday hearing , video showed .
The footage showed Feinstein standing outside a doorway in a building as she spoke with two men , both of whom were wearing masks .
Feinstein then walks through the doorway maskless as another masked man holds the door open for her , video from The Recount shows .
The video sparked backlash on social media as users pointed out that Feinstein has advocated a nationwide mask mandate and attempted to prevent coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not adopt this mandate .
“ Wearing masks in public should be mandatory , ” Feinstein tweeted in July .
“ When the Senate takes up the next coronavirus economic relief bill later this month , I intend to offer an amendment to prohibit sending funds to states that haven ’ t adopted a statewide mask requirement.
” She explained her push for the mask mandate in a July 16 press release .
“ Wearing masks in public should be mandatory , ” Feinstein said in a statement .
“ Period .
Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take up the next coronavirus economic relief bill later this month .
At that time , I intend to offer an amendment to prohibit sending funds to states that haven ’ t adopted a statewide mask requirement.
” “ The situation is getting worse daily , ” she continued .
“ Several states including California , Alabama and Montana already require masks in public .
This should be universal .
My hope has been that other governors would show the leadership to institute their own mask mandates , but so far that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time for Congress to step in .
This is a matter of life or death , and partisan politics shouldn ’ t play a role.
” Feinstein did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation .
She also was spotted maskless at Dulles International Airport in September after saying that the Federal Aviation Administration should mandate masks at airports , on airplanes , and on public transportation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For licensing opportunities for this original content , email [ email protected ] .

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chatted with her aides maskless in the corridors of a government building before entering a Tuesday hearing, video showed.
The footage showed Feinstein standing outside a doorway in a building as she spoke with two men, both of whom were wearing masks. Feinstein then walks through the doorway maskless as another masked man holds the door open for her, video from The Recount shows.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), without a mask, walks through the corridor before today’s Facebook/Twitter CEO hearing. pic.twitter.com/lYTVMEa3Dw — The Recount (@therecount) November 17, 2020
The video sparked backlash on social media as users pointed out that Feinstein has advocated a nationwide mask mandate and attempted to prevent coronavirus funding from going to states that would not adopt this mandate.
“Wearing masks in public should be mandatory,” Feinstein tweeted in July. “When the Senate takes up the next coronavirus economic relief bill later this month, I intend to offer an amendment to prohibit sending funds to states that haven’t adopted a statewide mask requirement.”
Dems constantly tiptoe around Feinstein because they want to avoid what she’s known for: harsh lectures
Yet here she is flouting all the guidelines. It’s not the first time she’s done it
I hope she’ll get a lecture from the Dems who have been rightly calling out Republicans https://t.co/K1VUOH1pLe — Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) November 17, 2020
She explained her push for the mask mandate in a July 16 press release.
“Wearing masks in public should be mandatory,” Feinstein said in a statement. “Period. Leader [Mitch] McConnell said the Senate will take up the next coronavirus economic relief bill later this month. At that time, I intend to offer an amendment to prohibit sending funds to states that haven’t adopted a statewide mask requirement.”
“The situation is getting worse daily,” she continued. “Several states including California, Alabama and Montana already require masks in public. This should be universal. My hope has been that other governors would show the leadership to institute their own mask mandates, but so far that hasn’t happened. It’s time for Congress to step in. This is a matter of life or death, and partisan politics shouldn’t play a role.”
Feinstein did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation. She also was spotted maskless at Dulles International Airport in September after saying that the Federal Aviation Administration should mandate masks at airports, on airplanes, and on public transportation.
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