Secretary of State addresses May 19 primary

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  • The News Observer
    The News Observer
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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is moving forward with the state’s May 19 election schedule because that’s the law.

In a telephone interview with The News Observer, Raffensperger said this afternoon, Thursday, April 2, “right now, our hands are tied. We have to move forward. It’s the law.”

Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston has called for May 19 voting to be postponed. Similar urgings have come from Georgia’s Congressional delegation.

“We want to be a positive team player,” Raffensperger said. If the General Assembly changes the law setting the election date, his office will move forward under those instructions.

Raffensperger said, “I execute elections, I don’t create them.”

For now, the Secretary of State’s office has mailed absentee ballot applications to the state’s registered voters.

Those applications must then be returned to the voter’s local election office indicating whether a Democrat, Republican or Independent ballot is desired. Or the applications can be ignored and the voter will still have the opportunity to vote in person, either during early voting or on election day.

“You can vote from the safety and security of your home,” Raffensperger said. Or voters have the opportunity to vote in person.

Raffensperger said he understands the health and safety concerns of in-person voters and poll workers in the face of the COVID-19 situation. And those issues will be addressed.

The Secretary of State’s office is moving forward “one day at a time,” with the election, Raffensperger said.

The only thing that will not move is the November 3, 2020, presidential election. That is set by the U.S. Constitution, he said.

And, Georgia’s election process must be completed in time to make that happen.

See next week’s issue of The News Observer for more on this story.