Georgia Election: GOP Requests Statewide Hand Count Of Ballots

Updated at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday

GEORGIA — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was hit with another letter Tuesday requesting the state recount all votes from last week election - by hand.

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who President Donald Trump's campaign tapped to lead the vote recount, sent three formal requests to Raffensperger on Tuesday, according to Fox 5. In the requests, Collins wanted a, "'full comparison' of absentee ballots, in-person, and provisional ballots cast in Georgia as well as a check for any votes cast by ineligible persons, including felons," the TV station reported.

Additionally, the third request was for Raffensperger's office to "announce a full hand-count of every ballot cast in each and every county due to widespread allegations of voter irregularities, issues with voting machines, and poll watcher access," Fox 5 reported.

Many voters have already turned their attention to the January 2021 runoff elections for senate seats. That election will be for the seats of the two Georgia senators who said Monday that they want fellow Republican Raffensperger to step down because he "failed to deliver honest and transparent elections." Raffensperger refused and said he will fight to make sure every legal vote counts.

Gov. Brian Kemp had his press secretary issue a statement Monday night that the handling of the close presidential and Senate races is a "wake-up call" to the Secretary of State's Office.

Georgia continues to count its outstanding ballots Tuesday after various news organizations declared Saturday that Democrat Joe Biden had reached the number of Electoral College votes required to become the president-elect. Many of President Donald Trump's supporters declared voter fraud, but Georgia officials have said there has been no evidence of the sort.

A joint statement on Monday from Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler called the management of elections in Georgia an "embarrassment" that left Georgians "outraged." Both Perdue and Loeffler faced strong challenges and are headed to Jan. 5 runoff elections.

"We have been clear from the beginning: Every legal vote cast should be counted," the statement read. "Any illegal vote must not. And there must be transparency and uniformity in the counting process."

The senators urged Raffensperger to resign over supposed mismanagement and a lack of transparency in his office. He flatly said, "that is not going to happen."

"The voters of Georgia hired me, and the voters of Georgia will be the one to fire me," Raffensperger said in a statement.

The Republican in charge of overseeing the state's elections said that he understands Perdue and Loeffler are likely irritated because they both seem headed for Jan. 5 runoff elections after failing to get over 50 percent in their respective races.

Absentee ballots can now be requested for those runoff elections. Voters have until Dec. 5 to register to vote in Georgia for the Jan. 5 election, with absentee ballots beginning to mail out on Nov. 18. Early in-person voting begins Dec. 14 in Georgia.

Raffensperger added that, as a member of the GOP, he is "unhappy with the potential outcome for our president."

No proof of election fraud or tampering has been submitted by the Trump campaign even as the president has filed lawsuits tied to voting in several states. A Georgia suit was thrown out last week by a judge.

Trump tweeted on Monday that, "Georgia will be a big presidential win, as it was the night of the Election!"

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Biden will become the 46th U.S. president after unofficial election results in Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral votes, put him over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency, the Associated Press and other news organizations projected. Georgia has not yet been called, although Biden leads in the state.

Biden increased his lead over Trump this past weekend. As of Tuesday morning, Biden has 10,353 more votes than Trump, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Trump had 49.26 percent of the vote, with 2.457 million votes, to Biden's 49.50 percent and 2.469 million votes.