Georgia secretary of state criticizes firing of 2 poll workers who cited irregularities
Raffensperger said workers were fired 'purely for raising concerns' about the election
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Georgia's elections chief criticized the firing of two Fulton County poll workers who publicly spoke about irregularities they said they witnessed during last month's election.
"I condemn in the strongest terms the decision by Fulton County elections officials to fire two poll managers purely for raising concerns about the November elections," Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Friday.
"Though we have found no credible evidence of widespread fraud, it is important that individuals can raise their voice when they believe they have seen wrongdoing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE ORDERS STUDY OF MAIL-IN BALLOT SIGNATURES AFTER TRUMP PRESSURE
Bridget Thorne, a Fulton County voting technician, claimed that ballots were not handled properly at the State Farm Arena where she worked.
"When they came in from the warehouse, they were haphazardly treated by anybody who wanted to dump the ballots out of the scanner tabulators," Thorne told "Fox & Friends" last week. "There weren’t two people present. People were just dumping them in suitcases and then leaving the suitcases on the floor, and taking a break for dinner or just quitting the job."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Susan Voyles, the other fired poll worker, told USA Today that she thought a box of 800 ballots was suspicious because the voting cards were "pristine" and did not have customary folds or bent edges.
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President-elect Joe Biden won Georgia by 12,760 votes, representing about .25% of the 5 million votes cast. Georgia has had two recounts that both confirmed Biden's victory, and Gov. Brian Kemp certified the state's 16 presidential electors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Raffensperger said Wednesday that he is now ordering a signature-match study, which his office will conduct with the University of Georgia, in order to combat "disinformation" surrounding the election.
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"This team will work to restore faith in the process and put these rumors to bed, once and for all, for all Americans," Raffensperger said at a news conference Wednesday. "Before an absentee ballot is ever cast, a signature match is confirmed twice. Not once. Twice."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Trump has filed multiple legal challenges in Georgia that have failed, but that hasn't stopped him from attacking Raffensperger and Kemp, who are both Republicans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.