Georgia Secretary of State claims that Republicans have pressured him to toss legal ballots

On Monday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated that Republican leaders such as Senator Lindsey Graham have been pressurising him to exclude legal ballots in order for President Trump to be declared the winner from the state, and nab 16 electoral votes in the process.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Raffensperger mentioned that Senator Graham asked him if he had the authority to "toss-out ballots" in counties with high rates on non-matching signatures, additionally questioning if poll workers had accepted ballots with non-matching signatures due to political bias.

Senator Graham denied allegations that he pressured Raffensperger, stating that he was figuring out how votes were verified in Georgia, adding that he thought that the state "has some protections that maybe other states don't have". Talking to reporters on Monday, Graham stated that "What I'm trying to find out was how do you verify signatures for mail-in ballots in these states [...] I thought it was a good conversation. I'm surprised to hear him characterise it that way".

Raffensperger stated that Republican efforts to cast aside legal ballots frustrated him, adding that he and his wife have received death threats recently, including one that read, “You better not botch this recount. Your life depends on it".

He mentioned that "Other than getting you angry, it’s also very disillusioning, particularly when it comes from people on my side of the aisle", urging both major political parties and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to exercise restraint.

Raffensperger stated that any legitimate claims of voter fraud would be investigated under the full extent of the law, adding that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that widespread fraud had occurred.