Raffensperger calling on Georgia lawmakers to end general election runoffs
By Tim Darnell
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ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is calling on the Georgia General Assembly to eliminate general election runoffs in the state.
“Georgia is one of the only states in country with a general election runoff,” said Raffensperger, who easily won re-election without a runoff in last month’s midterms. “We’re also one of the only states that always seems to have a runoff. I’m calling on the General Assembly to visit the topic of the general election Runoff and consider reforms.”
The GOP-controlled General Assembly convenes in January and could select from a wide range of options, he said.
“No one wants to be dealing with politics in the middle of their family holiday,” said Raffensperger. “It’s even tougher on the counties who had a difficult time completing all of their deadlines, an election audit and executing a runoff in a four-week time period.”
Georgia’s 2022 midterms shattered previous turnout records despite repeated claims from Democrats the state’s new election laws disenfranchise minority voters.
At least one Democratic lawmakers wants future general election runoffs to be extended. State Rep. Jasmine Clark (D-Lilburn) plans to introduce legislation to extend runoffs from four to six weeks.
Clark said an extra week would help ease some of the long lines many polling places experienced during the Senate runoff.
Clark said she’s planning on introducing a bill that, if passed, would for a work group to study the potential of a ranked-ballot system.
Essentially a ranked-choice option, which other states have implemented, asks voters to rank their preferred candidate in the case of a runoff on their general election ballot.
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