Georgia's top election official calls for nationwide ban on ballot harvesting

ATLANTA (TND) — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top election official, called for a nationwide ban on ballot harvesting during a speech on election security Tuesday.

Following the 2020 presidential election, former President Donald Trump argued on a now-infamous phone call with Raffensperger that ballot harvesting, and other election-related fraud, had occurred in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election. Though he had no proof to back up his claim, Trump pressured Raffensperger to conduct audits to prove his allegations, arguing they would show election fraud and swing the vote total, making him the winner in Georgia instead of now-President Joe Biden.

Raffensperger, who was praised by Democrats for withstanding Trump’s pressure, criticized the Biden administration and Democrats for attempting “to weaken election security under the guise of voting rights” through their recent legislative proposals. During his speech, Raffensperger laid out a plan he believes would be more effective at securing elections at the federal level.

Raffensperger called on Congress to strengthen elections through various election security proposals, including an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, national voter identification laws, reforms to election auditing and a “nationwide ban on ballot harvesting.”

No one should be between the voter and the election official, especially partisan actors,” Raffensperger said. “That is why my first act as secretary of state was to get ballot harvesting banned in the state of Georgia.

Ballot harvesting includes manufacturing votes, acts of illegally interceding in the voting process and other crimes related to election fraud.

“An election in North Carolina was overturned because of ballot harvesting, and also in New Jersey relating to ballot harvesting schemes,” Raffensperger continued. “This should be illegal nationwide.”

Last week, Raffensperger confirmed at least one active investigation into possible ballot harvesting in his own state.

“Americans need the confidence that their elections are secure and also accurate,” Raffensperger concluded. “They need to know that only those who are supposed to vote can vote and that their election officials have the tools necessary to uphold the integrity of the elections. While the Biden administration plan seeks to rig the rules to favor Democrats, my plan will help ensure the integrity of America’s elections for years to come.”