Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced on Wednesday a "full, by-hand recount" of ballots " cast in the presidential election in every county in the state.
Why it matters: President Trump has pushed for a recount in Georgia, a historically red state and one of the most closely watched in the presidential election. No winner has been declared in either of the state's two Senate battles, which means we likely won’t know which party will hold the Senate majority until 2021.
- "With the margin being so close," each country will undergo a recount in time for the state certification, according to Raffensperger. His office intends to investigate reports of possible fraud, he noted.
- "This will help build confidence," he said. "It will be an audit, a recount and a recanvas all at once."
- Raffensperger, a Republican, emphasized that his office will "verify every vote is counted," adding, “It’ll take every bit of the time we have left, for sure."
Context: Raffensperger came under fire after Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler (R) called for him to resign over what they called his failure to deliver "honest and transparent elections."
- Raffensperger (R) confirmed on Friday that the race's tight margins would necessitate a recount, saying the race's outcome "has huge implications for the entire country." 37 of 159 counties had "submitted certified, final results" as of Saturday, per AP.
