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Monday 28 noveMber 2022

New state voter fraud units finding few cases from midterms

Continued from Front votes would be counted tried to pressure state offi-
accurately. cials to “find” enough votes
The absence of wide- An Associated Press investi- to overturn his loss, a new
spread fraud is important gation found there was no law gives the state’s top
because the lies surround- widespread fraud in Geor- law enforcement agency,
ing the 2020 presidential gia or the five other battle- the Georgia Bureau of In-
election spread by former ground states where Trump vestigation, authority to
President Donald Trump disputed his 2020 loss, and initiate investigations of al-
and his allies have pene- so far there is no indication leged election fraud with-
trated deeply into the Re- of that in this year’s elec- out a request from election
publican Party and eroded tions. Certification of the officials. The alleged viola-
trust in elections. In the run- results is going smoothly in tion would have to be sig-
up to this year’s elections, most states, with few com- nificant enough to change
45% of Republicans had plaints. or create doubt about the
little to no confidence that In Georgia, where Trump outcome of an election.
FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a rally in
support of President Donald Trump called the "Save America
Rally" in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Florida, Georgia, Texas
and Virginia all started new law enforcement units to investigate
voter fraud in this year’s elections based on former President
Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential contest. So far,
those units seem to have produced more headlines than actual
cases.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
That breach, which came ida Department of State.
to light earlier this year, It reviews allegations and
involved local officials in then tasks state law en-
a county that voted for forcement with pursuing
Trump by nearly 40 per- violations.
centage points in 2020 and DeSantis this summer an-
some high-profile support- nounced the election unit
ers of the former president. had arrested 20 people for
State Rep. Jasmine Clark, illegally voting in the 2020
a Democrat who opposed election, when the state
the additional authority for had 14.4 million registered
the bureau, said the lack voters. That was the first
of investigations validates major election since a state
the criticism that the law constitutional amendment
was unnecessary. But she restored voting rights for
said just the prospect of a felons, except for those
GBI investigation could in- convicted of murder or
timidate people who want felony sex crimes or those
to serve as poll workers or who still owe fines, fees or
take on some other role in restitution.
the voting process. Court records show the 20
“In this situation, there was people were able to reg-
no actual problem to be ister to vote despite prior
solved,” Clark said. “This felony convictions, ap-
was a solution looking for a parently leading them to
problem, and that’s never believe they could legally
the way that we should cast ballots. At least part
legislate.” of the confusion stems from
Florida has been the most language in the voter reg-
visible state, creating its Of- istration forms that requires
fice of Election Crimes and applicants to swear they
Security amid much fan- are not a felon — or if they
fare this year and keeping are, that they have had
a pledge that Republican their rights restored. The
Gov. Ron DeSantis made forms do not inquire spe-
in 2021 to combat unspeci- cifically about past convic-
fied election fraud. tions for murder and felony
The office is under the Flor- sexual assault.q