1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Hi, This is new due to the virus. I'm recording 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: from home, so you may notice a difference in audio 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: quality on this episode of News World. This is our 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: first in a series I'm calling the Honest Election Chronicles 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: where we are going state by state looking at how 6 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: voting our regularities occur in our elections. We want every 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: legal vote to count, but only the legal ones. Not 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: the votes of the people who voted twice, once by 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: absentee ballot, once in person, Not the people who moved 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: out of state and voted anyway. Not the voting machines 11 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: who are tasked with matching signatures, yet they lowered the 12 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: standard so they really don't need the match perfectly. Many 13 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: of us are trying to separate what evidence is real 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: and what is simply unfounded. Each state has faced unique 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: challenges in the two twenty election, particularly with the extraordinary 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: increase in absentee ballots due to the virus enjoy Or. 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: The race between President Trump and Vice President Biden was 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: very close. Even after a six day hand recount. The 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: only differed by twelve thousand, two hundred and eighty four 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: votes in favor of Biden, an extraordinarily close margin, and 21 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: the race in Georgia isn't over. We move on to 22 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: two Senate runoff elections in January that will determine the 23 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: Democrat or Republican control of the US and my guests 24 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: today understand Georgia politics inside and out. I'm pleased to 25 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: welcome my guests David Schaeffer, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, 26 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: and Lindsay Rutter, who was a candidate for state representative 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: for Georgia House District fifty four. I'm really pleased to 28 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: welcome my guests and good friend David Schaeffer, the chairman 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: of the Georgia Republican Party. He has done an amazing job, 30 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: and he's in the middle of one of the most 31 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: amazing complexities I've ever seen in a long time in politics. 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: Let's start at the basic example. People who may not 33 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: be fully up with what's going on, tell us what's 34 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: actually happening in Georgia. Well, we're trying to get to 35 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: a point where we can certify the results of the 36 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: presidential race the elections a week and a half ago. 37 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: The Secretary of State's not certified the returns yet because 38 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: he's in the middle of conducting an audit where they 39 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: will hand count all of the paper ballots and compare 40 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: that count against the machine count to determine whether or 41 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: not the machines accurately count the votes. The auto was 42 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: supposed to be finished last night at midnight, but the 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: large urban counties had not yet completed their work, and 44 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: the Secretary gave them an extension until today at noon, 45 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: and so we expect to have the results of the 46 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: oddit either later this afternoon or tomorrow morning, and then 47 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: those secretary should likely certify the returns. Some people think 48 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: it's very deep problems. Other people just think that it's 49 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: kind of noise. What's your sense from what you see 50 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: looking around the state. There are significant irregularities with the 51 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,119 Speaker 1: election and significant weaknesses that have been revealed in our progress. 52 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: I told you exactly we're at, having told you every 53 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: complaint that we have had with the process. The irregularities 54 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: became apparent to me on election night when there was 55 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: a significant number of bouts counted in secret. Georgia law 56 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: requires that vote counting be done in the open that 57 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: any member of the public can attend, and also allows 58 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: the parties to credential observers or monitors to watch that 59 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: process at State Farm arena. The Fulton County elections officials 60 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: announced that they would stop counting at ten thirty in 61 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: resume at eight thirty the next morning. They packed up 62 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: all of their belongings, Our observers left, the news media left, 63 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: and once they were gone, they began counting again and 64 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: counted until one in the morning outside the servation of anyone. 65 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: Now people will say to me, well, can you prove 66 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: that any fraud took place during that three hour period 67 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: of time? And the answers, of course not, because it 68 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: was done in secret. We weren't allowed to observe it. 69 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: And you know we encountered those problems in other counties 70 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: as well. There's a mechanism under Georgia law called the 71 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: vote review panel using an absolutee ballot when you can't 72 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: discern what the intent of the voter was. These absolute 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: ballots are hand completed and unscanned the machines. If the 74 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 1: machine is unable to read it, then three people, including 75 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: one Democrat and one Republican are supposed to review each 76 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: ballot and determine how it should be counted. We've got 77 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: sworn affidavits from eight different counties where these vote review 78 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: panels would meet without notice or participation from the Republican members. 79 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: We have filed dumerous complaints with the Secretary of State. 80 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: He's launched at least two investigations that we're aware of, 81 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: but none of that inspires much confidence in the electoral process. Well, 82 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: and you had to sort of surprise to me you 83 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: had counties like Walden and Fade and Floyd finding new votes. 84 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,559 Speaker 1: That's happened during the audit process. During the hand count, 85 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: we had Floyd County found twenty seven hundred votes that 86 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: were not scanned and counted on election day, no explanation 87 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: as to what happened, twenty five hundred votes in Fayette 88 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: County discovered, no real explanation as to what happened in 89 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: Walton County two and in Douglas County as well. And 90 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: those aren't even the big urban counties where we historically 91 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: have all of the problems. Those counties have not yet reported. 92 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: I will tell you into camb County, Georgia on Sunday. 93 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: One of our observers of the hand count. One of 94 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: our concerns is that in this audit process, we've been 95 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: limited to one monitor for every ten counting tables, which 96 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: does not give us a meetingful opportunity to watch what 97 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: is happening. But one of our monitors into Cab County 98 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: stumbled upon a batch of votes that was labeled ten thousand, 99 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: seven hundred and seven for Joe Biden and thirteen for 100 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, which is a margin of victory that rivals 101 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: third world dictators in sham elections. So he questioned it 102 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: and they determined that the box only contained about a 103 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: thousand ballots. They recounted it and the actual margin was 104 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: only a thousand and eighty one votes for Joe Biden 105 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: and thirteen votes for Donald Trump, And so it was 106 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: an over nine thousand vote discrepancy that had we not 107 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: caught it would have added nine thousand votes to Joe 108 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: Biden's margin when the audit was completed. But it had 109 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: been signed off by two official counters from to Cam 110 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: County and would not have been discovered but for this 111 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: Republican observer happening upon him again something that doesn't inspire 112 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: any confidence in the electoral process. Once you go through certification, 113 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: can you then demand an actual recount? The Secretary of 114 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: States to described this as a recount, and other politicians 115 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: and media figures have described what we're going through right 116 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: now as a recount, but it's really not a recount. 117 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: It's a hand count as part of an auditor machines. 118 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: Once the returns are certified, then any candidate whose margin 119 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: is close enough can request or recount. You know, we 120 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: anticipate the President will request a recount, or if Biden 121 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: is down after the returns are certified, that he would 122 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: request one. There may be other recounts requested. In the 123 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: US Senate race which was very close, and the Georgia 124 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: Public Service Commission race was very close, those have to 125 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: be requested within two days of certification, and then they 126 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: would begin almost immediately and instead of hand counting the 127 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: paper ballots, the paper ballots would be rescanned through the 128 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: machines and then that recount would be certified. So what 129 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: about challenging the ballots? If a ballot is kicked out 130 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: by the machine, there is a voter review panel process 131 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: that's in place where each of the ballots has examined. 132 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: Another issue that's arisen is the number of absentee ballots 133 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: and the lack of verification on the front end. And 134 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: there's actually, as we speak, a hearing in federal court 135 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: happening right now where the statisure verification process for those 136 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: absentee ballots as being challenged, and how that hearing goes 137 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: will have a great impact on how things play out 138 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: here in Georgia. Historically, absentee ballots, which are ballots that 139 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: are sent in by mail, you make up about five 140 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: to six percent of the ballots cast, and there's not 141 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: a photo identification required by anyone casting an absentee ballot. Instead, 142 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: the signatures and other information from the application is supposed 143 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: to be verified and if it passes, an actual ballot 144 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 1: is meilt out and if it's not verified then it's rejected. 145 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: In this election, because of the pandemic, there were almost 146 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: seven times as many absentee ballots requested and issued, and 147 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: concerns have been raised whether or not that verification process 148 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: us worked under such a great volume. On September thirtieth, 149 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: the Georgia Republican Party asked for an opportunity to watch 150 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: the verification process take place, and we were not allowed 151 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: to do so. What was the Secretary of State's argument 152 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: for not letting you do it? They said that the 153 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: original voter registration card contained some information that was not 154 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: public information and they were worried that our observers would 155 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: peer over the shoulders of the employees doing the verification 156 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: and look at this confidential information. And we had a 157 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: conference call with the senior staff of the Secretary of 158 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: State's office on September thirtieth, walked through how we could 159 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: do that, addressing that concern. They agreed to do it. 160 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: They agreed to issue a bulletin to the counties saying 161 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: that we were allowed to do this, but the bolton 162 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: was never sent. They reversed themselves some time after that 163 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 1: civil Republican Secretary State blocking the Republican Party. It is 164 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: very frustrating. I personally like Brad Rafflisberger, and I don't 165 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: believe that he is a witting participate in wrongdoing, but 166 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 1: he has become a defender of the system when he's 167 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: supposed to be the overseer of the system. I mean, 168 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 1: the elections are all conducted by county elections superintendents. Most 169 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: of the county elections superintendents do a pretty good job. 170 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: There's really only about six or seven large counties where 171 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: we have all of the problems every two years, and 172 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:29,239 Speaker 1: I'd like to see Raffinsburger go after those counties aggressively 173 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: trying to correct these problems so they don't reoccur, as 174 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: opposed to positioning himself as the apologist for all of 175 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: the sloppiness. This week on Outline with Giano Caldwell, I 176 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: talked to a man who's had a profound influence on 177 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: my life, and I'm talking about my pastor from back home. 178 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: Doctor Bill Winston, was the founder and senior pastor of 179 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: Living Where Christen Center, a nondenominational in church with more 180 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: than twenty thousand members located near Chicago. He is also 181 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: an author, an entrepreneur, educator, and a veteran who has 182 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: most amazing and inspiring stories that you will ever hear. 183 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: Listen to Outline with Jiano Caldwell every Monday on the 184 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 185 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: I want to go back just one second, because I 186 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: saw the numbers about the ten thousand vote discrepancy, but 187 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: somebody said that it had actually been reconciled so it 188 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: didn't actually affect Biden's lead. So had that error not 189 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: been caught, Biden's lead would have increased by nine thousand votes. Wow, 190 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: I see, I mean it's astonishing. They claimed that this 191 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: is proof that the system works well. It's proof of 192 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: the opposite. The official counters, two of them signed off 193 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: on the wrong count, and it was only discovered by 194 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: the Republican observer, who had to engage in an argument 195 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: before they agreed several hours later to recount the batch 196 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: and produce the correct number. Had that not been corrected, 197 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: then Biden's numbers would have been boosted by nine thousand, 198 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: would have canceled out all of the legitimate gains made 199 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: by President Trump and Floyd and Fayette and Walton County. 200 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: The way that the news media has spun these things 201 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: is astonishing and discouraging to me. There's this absolute lack 202 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: of curiosity into how our elections are being conducted because 203 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: their overriding concern seems to be that President Trump is defeated, 204 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: and it really doesn't matter what sloppiness or irregularity or 205 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: wrongdoing happened. They don't want that discussed until they're absolutely 206 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: certain that President Trump has gone. In terms of, for example, 207 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: the counties that came in that improved President Trump's position, 208 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: did they also improve David Produced position? Probably? I mean 209 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: logically they would. They're only hand counting ballots in the 210 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: presidential race for the purposes of the audit. Obviously, someone 211 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: who voted for President Trump almost certainly voted for David 212 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: Produce or his position is likely better. Wasn't it close 213 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: to winning without a runoff? Yes, but it was approximately 214 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: the same margin as the president's margin. He probably will 215 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:17,079 Speaker 1: request a recount, and then the ballots at his race 216 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: will be rescanned and probably a corrected return certified. So 217 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: you talk about the media, I noticed that Twitter just 218 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: put a disputed label on one of your tweets. How 219 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,959 Speaker 1: much censorship have you run into other people in the 220 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 1: Georgia campaign. I think this is the first time one 221 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: of my tweets has been flagged as disputed. And what's 222 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: ironic is that the Secretary of State confirmed the accuracy 223 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: of the tweet and that was reported in the news media, 224 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: and Twitter labeled it as disputed information. Anyway, that's a 225 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: whole separate set of problems with how information is communicated 226 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 1: in America. And you have historical we always had the 227 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: problem of the Atlanta newspaper being pretty consistently anti Republican. Yeah, 228 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: absolutely left leaning. It's not as powerful of an institution 229 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: as when you were active in Georgia. Politics, but the 230 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: problems that it caused back then are now being caused 231 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: by other media that is replaced and to my own 232 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: experience in nineteen ninety two, as in a tough election campaign, 233 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: they attacked me for nineteen out of twenty three days. 234 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: I was beginning to think they didn't like me. I 235 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: cheerfully campaigned anyway. I worry a lot that if we 236 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: can't fix some of this, that we can focus on 237 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: the campaign for the runoff, but the Democrats will focus 238 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: on the election, and no matter how good our campaign, 239 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: we could end up losing the state pretty much the 240 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: way they've operated on this route. What's your sense about 241 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: how vulnerable we are to a repeat of various ballot problems, etc. 242 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: When we get to the runoff in January. Yeah, I'm 243 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: concerned about it. If there's the same large percentage of 244 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: absentee ballots again, you know, where we have a third 245 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: of the votes being counted not having been identified at 246 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: least to the same level as people who vote in person. 247 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: I think that's a threat to the integrity of the election. 248 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: The truth of the matter is that this sloppiness in 249 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: these heirs happen in every single election, and they're ignored 250 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: because the elections are not really ever close, and for 251 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: the longest time in Georgia the Democrats dominating things. For 252 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: most of the last eighteen years, the Republicans have dominated things. 253 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: But we're about to enter a period of time here 254 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: in Georgia where every election will be close, and if 255 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: we don't secure it may be difficult for us to 256 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: ever to win any I think that's right, and that's 257 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: why I'm very concerned in this very short timeline this fall, 258 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: we're thinking out whatever we can do to have an honest, 259 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: clear account in an honest election, because it does seem 260 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: to me that that threatens both Senator to Due and 261 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: Senator Lowfler, that they could run a great campaign but 262 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: it wouldn't matter because the votes would somehow magically show up. 263 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: Isn't it also true, by the way, that people who 264 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: are going to move into the state just long enough 265 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: to vote. Isn't that actually illegal? In order to register 266 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: in the state, you have to be a residence, so 267 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: you have to intend to live here permanently. I wrote 268 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: a bipage letter to Ravensburger packed full of examples of 269 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: various left wing figures throughout the country, encouraging people to 270 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: vacation in Georgia or move here temporarily to register and 271 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: vote in the election, which is plainly illegal. Now, to 272 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: their credit, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State 273 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: both made clear that was a felony that would be investigated, 274 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: and I think that has largely shut down that effort. 275 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: That's great, Wilson. I appreciate very much your leadership and 276 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: a very challenging and a very difficult period, and I 277 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: just want to encourage you. These next couple of months 278 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: are literally vital to the future of the country, and 279 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: those two Senate seats are that important. So thank you 280 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: as a citizen for all you're doing well. Thank you 281 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,479 Speaker 1: very much. I appreciate all you do as well, and 282 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: appreciate the opportunity to be with you today on this podcast. 283 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: Lindsay Rutter was a candidate for state representative for Georgia 284 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: House District fifty four. So we're going to deal first 285 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: of all with how is Georgia turning blue or is 286 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: it turning blue? Stacy Abrams served for eleven years in 287 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: the Georgia House Representatives, seven as the Democratic leader, and 288 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen Stacy became the Democratic nominee for governor Georgia. 289 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: After losing the race to now Governor Brian Kemp, Abrams 290 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: formed a Fair Fight. Can you tell us, Lindsay, how 291 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: Stacy Abrams organization Fair Fight has worked to transform the 292 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 1: state of Gelgia. Yes, Fairified Action started in around twenty fourteen, 293 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: and at the time it was very quietly put together. 294 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: She was working kind of behind the scenes. Of course, 295 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: now it's a organization, it's probably known not just in 296 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: Georgia but nationally. And what she's really done successfully is, 297 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: in my opinion, has several arms of Verified Action. First 298 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: and foremost, it's really been a nonprofit legal arm focused 299 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: on challenging any type of what she alleges to the 300 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: voter restrictions, what some might call voter integrity laws, and 301 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: she's challenging those throughout the state. And in addition to that, 302 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: so she's widening the door to voting. She is second 303 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: a very strong grassroots movement and as she's registering new voters, 304 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: as she's finding new pockets of voters, those doors are 305 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: opened wire for voters to come through. And then third, 306 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: she's really trying to transform policy and different legislation around 307 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: the Voting Act in our state and then of course 308 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: nationally as well, and you're seeing the results of that. 309 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: And while it may not be the result that many 310 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: Republicans are happy about today, she has done some very 311 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: hard work and she has quite frankly done it successfully. 312 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: You're an attorney by training, and you're worked as a 313 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: professional as an attorney. You're currently a deputy district attorney 314 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. You also ran for the Georgia House Representatives 315 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: tradition fifty four in this election cycle. Given all that background, 316 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: both legally and politically, what issues have you discovered with 317 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: George's voting rules. Well, at first, one I would say 318 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: is a candidate is you're traditionally focused on fundraising, beating 319 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: your voters, spreading your message, and getting your vote out 320 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: and picking up their votes. What I think is a 321 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: very telling from this election cycle. It's something that kind 322 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: had not traditionally had to focus on is now going 323 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: to be something that should be key to every election. 324 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: And that's really the fidelity and integrity of a voter list. 325 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: That's something that candidates have just taken as the voter list, 326 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 1: and now I think it's something that needs to be 327 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: critically examined and needs to be looked at by every candidate. 328 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: You can't just presume that is an accurate list that's 329 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: maintained in real time. And so that's been one of 330 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 1: the biggest takeaways I have taken for this experience as 331 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: a lawyer and with my background and as a candidate 332 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: running at dish or fifty four, which is primarily Buckhead 333 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia, a very transient area of Georgia. As 334 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: you see all that, have they actually been purging the 335 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: roles or were they just let people stay on them forever? 336 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: The states are allowed to maintain their own voter rolls. 337 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: Of course, naturally, there's a statute put in place in 338 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three under former President Bill Clinton and a 339 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: democratically controlled Congress. The coach section is fifty two USCS 340 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: two zero five zero seven, but it's more commonly known 341 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: as the National Voter Registration Act or in DRY for abbreviation, 342 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: and essentially what it says, in addition to many other parts, 343 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: is that in any election cycle that has a federal 344 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,160 Speaker 1: candidate or a federal election on the ballot, there are 345 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: restrictions on what a state can do in terms of 346 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: purging or cleaning their voter roles. Georgia's absolutely free to 347 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: determine they might be ineligible on a Georgian voter registration 348 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: list due to moving out of state or out of 349 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: the area. However, they're not allowed upon identifying that to 350 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: immediately purge anyone. They have to send notice to those 351 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: potentially ineligible voters via a postcard to the prior address 352 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: in Georgia. Presumably that voter doesn't live in Georgia anymore 353 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:46,120 Speaker 1: and won't respond. Lack of a response, it's still not 354 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: enough to purge them. According to this federal law, you 355 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: have to wait two federal election cycles thereafter to be 356 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: able to remove them, which at its shortest term would 357 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: be four years. Atlanta, where I was running a buck 358 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: at the very transient area. People move in and out 359 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: every year for work. But then four years you're going 360 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: to have a lot of people on that list that 361 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: no longer live here. But unfortunately, the states are restrained 362 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: by this federal quote section that prevents them from purging. 363 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: So in the sense that requires changing federal law, it 364 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 1: would it's assisting the quote. It needs to be cleaned up, absolutely, 365 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: And I think one thing that is very concerning to 366 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: me as Speaker Nanti Pelotsy has stated that if they 367 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: maintain both chambers of Congress, House Bill one will be 368 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: one of the first bills that she introduces, which, amongst 369 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: many progressive provisions, and that the most concerning to me 370 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: is an outlaw on any cleaning or purging of voter roles. 371 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: And so if that were to pass, we would see 372 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: what we're seeing now on tremendously larger scales, and that 373 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: is going to undermine the integrity of any and every 374 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: voting lists, and so it's an extreme concern. You know, 375 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: I can't speak to what the state list looks like, 376 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: but I can tell you, as a candidate and my 377 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: smaller race within Fulton County, what my voter rolls looked like, 378 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: because I did do analysis on those to get an 379 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 1: image of what the current status of the voters on 380 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,439 Speaker 1: my list were. And it was very telling when you 381 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 1: went door to door, what did you learn from the 382 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: reality versus the voters list that you had as a candidate. 383 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 1: Canvassing is a large part of a local campaign, making 384 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: voter contact, and so what myself and my team did 385 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: is we went to the Secretary of State's office for 386 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: Georgia and we downloaded the list of registered voters to 387 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: determine which one for registered to vote in Fulton County. 388 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: And inside Fulton County there are multiple districts. So we 389 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 1: were just looking at my district within Fulton County House 390 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: District fifty four, and we selected the potential voters in 391 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: that district, and then we picked a universe of voters 392 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: who I wanted to introduce myself to and meet and 393 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: set out on what they call walk book, a list 394 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: of of, you know, fifty different addresses in a neighborhood 395 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: and probably interact with about ten thousand voters. We hit, 396 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: over goodness, four or five thousand doors and they just 397 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: go door to door. Now, as I did that, what 398 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: was very interesting to me, and I'll give you a 399 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: few examples. One point, I had a targeted voter. So 400 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: it was a voter listed on the Secretary of State's 401 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,439 Speaker 1: web page. It's just called John Doe and it stated 402 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: his address was one two three Main Street, Apartment be 403 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: So I arrived at this address, and this is a 404 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: very prestigious neighborhood in Buckhead, one of the more wealthier 405 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: neighborhoods in the entire state. And I arrived at a 406 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: residence that's a quite frankly a mansion, a single family home. 407 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: There is no apartment, it's not a duplex. There are 408 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 1: not two mailboxes, there is no one residing an apartment 409 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: at that location. And there are anomalies like that to 410 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: just continue to repeat themselves. Another one would be you 411 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: would see on the voter registration role that you were 412 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,360 Speaker 1: going to another house, let's call it four or five 413 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: six Main Streets, and there are two sets of families 414 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: residing in that home. And so you have two families 415 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: with different last names, with ages that appear to be 416 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 1: two sets of parents and children. And that was very 417 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: odd to me, and so I questioned, is this the 418 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,160 Speaker 1: prior owners of this home that just have not been 419 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: updated in the voter files, or is this fraud where 420 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: someone's registered other people at this home? Why is this so? 421 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 1: Because these are not neighborhoods, that would it make sense 422 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 1: to have two families residing them. I think one of 423 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: the third and final anomalies is you would have an address, 424 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: we'll call this one six seven, eight Main Street. You 425 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: get to it, there's no home, it's a field's home 426 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,120 Speaker 1: has been torn down, and you have a family registered 427 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:48,959 Speaker 1: at that address or a person to that address. Now, 428 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 1: could it be that that was a former owner they 429 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: sold the home to someone else who's knocked down the 430 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: home and rebuilding. Maybe, But it was these anomalies that 431 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: started to really concern me. And around that same time, 432 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: separate from Canvasing, I received a jury summons to my 433 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: home address, my personal address, and the name of an 434 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 1: individual who's never resided in the stress, who I do 435 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: not know, And that was very concerning to me because 436 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,679 Speaker 1: I suspected that someone had either registered to vote or 437 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: registered to drive in my address, and that is how 438 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: you would end up on a jury list in Fulton County. 439 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: You either registered to drive or registered to vote an 440 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:32,919 Speaker 1: address within a county, and that's how you would end 441 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: up on a jury list. But it was very concerning 442 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: to me seeing all these anatom these pieces up, And 443 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: I would add last that I took a list of 444 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 1: voters who have been apartment complexes that due to COVID 445 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: I was unable to enter the premises of their apartment 446 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: or condo buildings to knock on their door. So I 447 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: started to call them, and I would say, on a 448 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: list of about one hundred, maybe only ten would actually 449 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: answer you'd have a low return rate. And many of 450 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: the other numbers, about nine go to numbers that have 451 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: been disconnected phone numbers that do not have voicemails or 452 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: personalized messages that have been set up. And it became 453 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: very concerning to me that either these people were temporarily 454 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: here no longer here, and seemed to have data and 455 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: the voter files that were outdated. On October thirty, as 456 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: a candidate, you pulled the early voting results. I didn't 457 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,640 Speaker 1: know you could do that. Actually, what does that mean? 458 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: Since we had early voting for three weeks in Georgia 459 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 1: and the majority of the votes being cast either early 460 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: vote or an absent team, many of the votes had 461 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: already been sent to the Georgia Secretary of States office 462 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 1: by October thirty at the eve of the November third election, 463 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: and those were uploaded into the Secretary of State's web page, 464 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 1: and you could download the list of people who have 465 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: already voted in your race. And so as of Friday morning, 466 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: the last day of early voting before the general election, 467 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 1: there were roughly thirty eight thousand people who were uploaded 468 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 1: as already voting in my district. House District fifty four 469 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: and based on my background litigating jury issues that somewhat 470 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 1: derived from our voter files, seeing on the ground the 471 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: anomalies that I pointed out making phone calls to newly 472 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: registered voters, I really started to consider the integrity of 473 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: the thirty eight thousand people that had already voted in 474 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 1: my race. And I decided, although it was the even 475 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: the election, I hired a statistician, an expert who's done 476 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: this many times, who specializes in this, if he would 477 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: take the thirty eight thousand voters who are already voted 478 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: in my race, so it wouldn't be all the votes 479 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: cast for the ones cast so far, and would he 480 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: do analysis of who these voters are, where they actually reside. 481 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: And there's a process that's accepted legally in court. And 482 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:54,719 Speaker 1: essentially what you do is you take the set of 483 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: voters and you cross reference that with what's called the 484 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: National Change of Addressed Database. That is a database maintained 485 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: by the United States Postal Service. And if for example, 486 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: one of your viewers were to move from House A 487 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: to House B and they want their mail for it is, 488 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: they would do a change of address with the Postal Service, 489 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: and the Postal Service will note that change of address 490 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: and put the new address in the National Change of 491 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: Address database. And roughly about thirty percent of the country 492 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: it's really twenty seven percent actually ever do that, but 493 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: it will give you an image of where people are 494 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: actually residing. So the first thing we did was take 495 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: my thirty eight thousand voters and we ran it against 496 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: National Change of Address database to see have any of 497 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: my voters the thirty eight thousand recently in the last year, 498 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: some thirty days, some sixty days, ninety days done a 499 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: national change of address indicate that they don't not live 500 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: in my county or the state of Georgia. But due 501 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: to the fact that, as I mentioned, only thirty percent 502 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 1: of the country actually does this, there are other databases 503 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: you can use to determine where someone resides. Those are 504 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: databases and vendors that maintain where someone pays their utilities, 505 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: where someone has their magazines come Because while they may 506 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: not tell the post office that they're moving, they are 507 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: going to tell the Wall Street Journal, They're going to 508 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: tell their magazine subscriptions, They're going to tell their utility companies. 509 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: They're going to make sure they have their home set 510 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: exemption in a specific state where they're actually residing. You 511 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: can run the list against those and we did that 512 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: and the combination of the two searches was quite telling. 513 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: In my race, we had one thousand, five hundred and 514 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: eighty two voters who had a change of address or 515 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: started to pay their utilities in a zip code that 516 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: was outside of my district. So they may have lived 517 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: in Fulton County but not within my district. So going 518 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: a step further, we found that there was one thousand, 519 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: seventy nine voters with a news zip code outside of 520 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: Fulton County. There's zip code to not place them within 521 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: the county. Maybe they were in a surrounding metro county. 522 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: And then, most telling to what's happening on a national scale, 523 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: we found that there were six hundred and forty six 524 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: voters of the zip code placing them outside the state 525 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: of Georgia. It was not a Georgia zip code. So 526 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: I've given all your experiences and the fact you've been 527 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: both a candidate and an attorney, what can people do 528 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: as Georgians to protect the vote? I would recommend that 529 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: if you're aware of any voter fraud, you can go 530 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: to the Georgian Secretary of State's web page and they 531 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: have a voter fraud link and you can report it. 532 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: And I think being very competent, diligent and respectful of 533 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: the voting booth is crucial and we all have to 534 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: remember that the right to vote is one of our 535 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: most fundamental aspects that makes us American. I agree with Dude. 536 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 1: I should say, for anybody's listening, if they have knowledge 537 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: of voter fraud, please report it at English three dot 538 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: com slash Honest Elections. That's English sixty dot com slash 539 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: Honest Elections. I want to thank you for how knowledgeable 540 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: you are and for the courage you've shown to run, 541 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: and I hope that you will stay active in the 542 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: political system and help us sidly clean up this mess 543 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: but solve the many challenges that Americans are facedook and 544 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: I really do appreciate very much, Lindsay, your willingness to 545 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: come on and to talk about your experiences, well, thank 546 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: you so much. It with a tremendous honor to get 547 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: to speak with you and thank you for everything you 548 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: done for our country and continue to do. I'm going 549 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: to stay involved. I'm very passionate about this and digging 550 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: keeper in to our voter issues. And making sure we 551 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: have list that the fidelity and technlity of them will maintain. 552 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest David Schaefer and Lindsay Rutter. 553 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: You can read more about the Georgia presidential election and 554 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 1: the US Center runoff elections on our show page at 555 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: newtsworld dot com. News World is produced by Ganglish, Sweet 556 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, our 557 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: producer is Garnsey Sloan, and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 558 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Pendi. 559 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at Gingwidge three sixty. Please 560 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: email me with your questions at Gingwidge three sixty dot 561 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: com slash questions. I'll answer a selection of questions in 562 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: future episodes. If you've been enjoying news World, I hope 563 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate us with 564 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: five stars and give us a review so others can 565 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: learn what it's all about. I'm new Gangridge. This is 566 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: news World.