Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger defended counties that accepted absentee ballots in person over the weekend during a pre-Election Day press conference at the State Capitol on Monday morning.
Raffensperger said it was state law that absentee ballots could be accepted in person until 7 p.m. on Election Day, swatting away criticism from Republican party members who filed two lawsuits over the issue on Saturday and Sunday.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer rejected the GOP’s arguments on Saturday. The Republican National Committee filed a federal suit on Sunday, specifically targeting Democratic strongholds Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, Clarke County, and Chatham County.
Raffensperger chided Fulton County for deciding just last week to accept ballots over the weekend, noting that Gwinnett County had announced its decision to do so back in July.
“Fulton’s decision was really late,” Raffensperger said. “It caught some people unaware, and it is a mad scramble and just a breeding ground for conspiracy theories.”
Nevertheless, Raffensperger said with Georgia’s “unprecedented” early voting numbers, that he expects a “free, fair, and fast election.”
“With more than 4 millions votes already cast, we expect 70 percent of Georgia’s vote will be reported by 8 p.m. tomorrow night and that will give you a path on what to expect,” he said.
