President Donald Trump has accused officials in Georgia of deliberately dragging their heels in the state’s vote signature verification, saying they “don’t want results to get out prior to 6 January” – the day Congress will hold its special joint session to count the Electoral College votes and formally finalise the election results.
“They know what they are trying so hard to hide. Terrible people!” Trump tweeted, aiming the message at Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
The president blasted Governor Kemp last week for his alleged inaction over the Trump campaign’s fraud claims, calling the governor a “clown” and demanding that he approve a special session of the state’s legislature and allow for signature verification. Trump went on to accuse Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of being “played” by Democratic operatives through loosened voting guidelines approved earlier this year.
Raffensperger announced last Tuesday that his office had partnered with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a signature match audit in the state’s Cobb County, and to join with an accredited university to carry out a “statewide audit study” to “restore faith” in the democratic process.
Georgia’s 16 electors cast their ballots for Democratic candidate Joe Biden during last week’s Electoral College vote, with Biden securing 302 electoral votes in total, far more than the 270 he needed to win. Trump continues to reject the election results, claiming Democrats in battleground states conspired to rob him of victory. He alleges that his team has “hundreds of affidavits” and “thousands” of witness testimonies to back up the fraud allegations. However, the president has yet to win a major victory in court. Last week, the Supreme Court tossed out a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas alleging irregularities in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, essentially telling the Lonestar State that it's none of its business how other states conduct elections.