Georgia Democrats are calling on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to take down an online tool that allows Georgians to cancel their voter registrations if they move out of state.
In a press release earlier this week, Raffensperger called the website a “convenient tool,” and touted its efficiency and the fact that it doesn’t rely on what the Secretary of State called, “an increasingly inefficient postal system.”
“This is a convenient tool for any voter who wants to secure their voter registration by cancelling their old one when they move out of state.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
Postal operations in Georgia have come under increasing scrutiny as postal customers report lengthy delays in receiving mail.
But Democrats in the state, who have been consistent critics of Raffensperger’s management of the state’s voting process, called on the Secretary of State to take the tool offline. They say the online platform makes it easier for rogue actors to cancel anyone’s voting registration, not just their own.
According to Raffensperger’s office, to cancel a voter registration, the voter needs to supply what it calls, “secret personal identifying information,” like a driver’s license number or a full or partial Social Security number.
Democrats, however, tied the new platform to conservative-driven attempts to challenge voter registration through other means. In a statement, Democratic Party of Georgia Executive Director Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye called the website, “ripe for abuse by right-wing activists who are already submitting mass voter challenges meant to disenfranchise Georgians.”
“This portal is ripe for abuse by right-wing activists who are already submitting mass voter challenges meant to disenfranchise Georgians.”
Democratic Party of Georgia Executive Director Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye
Hundreds of thousands of voter challenges have been filed in Georgia in recent years. Most of those challenges were rejected by county elections officials. Earlier this year, the GOP-dominated Georgia General Assembly passed a bill that opponents say would make it easier for activists to win those voter challenges.
The website has already encountered problems. For a brief time, a glitch allowed the public to access a voter’s birth date, partial Social Security number, and driver’s license number. That information could be used to cancel a voter’s registration.
A spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office told the AP that the problem was connected to a software update and was fixed within an hour.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA
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