Sep 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

1,000 Georgians voted twice in June primary

Fadel Allassan

Voters at the booths. — People vote in Atlanta during the 2018 midterms. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday that 1,000 people in Georgia voted twice in the state's June 9 primary by voting in person after returning a mail-in ballot, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Why it matters: President Trump suggested that people should similarly vote twice during a visit to North Carolina last week to test the mail-in system, prompting a warning from the state's election board. Double-voting is a felony in Georgia, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The state of play: Georgia's attorney general and local prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges on a case-by-case basis, according to Raffensperger.

He said the double-votes didn’t change the outcome of any Georgia primary races.
About 1.15 million people cast absentee ballots during the June election.

What he's saying: "A double voter knows exactly what they’re doing, diluting the votes of each and every voter that follows the law," Raffensperger said.

"Those that make the choice to game the system are breaking the law. And as secretary of state, I will not tolerate it."

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1,000 Georgians voted twice in June primary

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