Geogia's Raffensperger; Countering Fake News
The mainstream media (including PBS among other CPB programs) condemns the new voting legislation in Georgia as racist and disenfranchising minorities. It is, in fact, just the opposite. Here are the latest thoughts from Georgia Secretary of State, Republican Brad Raffensperger, who stood strong in 2020 and 2021, facing down Donald Trump's insistence that Georgia find him another 11,800 votes from the 2020 election. Raffensperger alienated Trump by explaining the votes were not there.
In response to the push by President Biden and Chuck Schumer to have the Senate force through the over-reaching Democratic-only supported nationally-controlled voting plan, Raffensperger today (Jan.13, 2022), explained in the Washington Examiner:
"People need to understand in Georgia, we have the appropriate, I think, almost the perfect balance of accessibility," he continued. "Because we have photo ID, we allow you to have all three forms of voting: no-excuse absentee voting, you have to request the ballot, [and] we have signature match and photo ID on that; you show up to vote, we have photo ID for that; you show up on Election Day, we also have that. So we give people lots of opportunity, which has led to record turnout and record registration. I think we've really struck the appropriate balance."
Today, Raffensperger also endorsed launching a new bipartisan presidential commission, similar to 2005's bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission, to make new federal recommendations on the issue and even suggested former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice serve as the Republican co-chair. Currently both Democrats & Republicans recognize that Georgia's new law offers more flexibility to all voters than does Delaware's (Biden's home state), New York's (Schumer's one state), and a number of other states.
CPB should present both sides of controversial issues like this.