Election Integrity Activists Deliver Paper Ballot Petitions and Flood State Election Board Meeting

Atlanta, Georgia – An overflow crowd of patriots (including dozens of GRA members) from across the state attended the Georgia State Election Board meeting at the Capitol yesterday to share concerns about Georgia’s election process and to press for reforms restoring election integrity and accountability for Georgia’s persistently unreliable elections.

Activists wearing “Paper Please” T-shirts streamed in from as far as the coast and the Florida border. The room was packed to capacity with upwards of 130 people, and those who could not find a seat had to stand in the hallway, or watch proceedings from the overflow room due to the fire code restrictions.  Officials expressed surprise by the unexpected size of the crowd.  By the time the meeting commenced fifty people had signed up to speak and the Board knew they were in for a long morning.

“We deserve legal, secure and accurate elections,” said GRA Member Paul White, from middle Georgia. He referenced the five red states that turned blue in 2020: Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia. All five of them had changed their election laws just weeks before the 2020 election, and all five depended exclusively on Dominion voting systems.

Field Searcy, a GRA Member from South GA, referencing the opinion and order of Federal Judge Amy Totenberg, who found serious cause for concern in Georgia’s election system said, “If Judge Totenberg is correct and the QR code tabulated by a black box is unlawful, that means our votes are void…we have no duly elected representatives…  Who has authority?  Who is accountable?” 

Following the meeting, Searcy led a contingent to deliver the petition submitted to the Grady County Board of Commissioners calling for paper ballots and some other documents including a letter from attorney and GRA President Alex Johnson to the Governor, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State’s offices. “Seems Chris Carr had a scowl on his face and so did the lady in the SOS office,” said Searcy. 

The remedy for the various election problems was made very clear. It was repeated so many times by different speakers that the State Election Board could have had no question about the activists’ request: “Security grade, hand marked, paper ballots, counted at the precinct on election day.” The board must have heard this phrase nearly 50 times by the end of the public comments.

GRA member Amanda Prettyman from Bibb County brought a large stack of paper petitions to the mic with her to display representing the many Georgians in favor of paper ballots who could not be present at the meeting. She also used the opportunity during a break to hold an impromptu meeting with the Chairman to share her concerns directly. It is reported that she gave each member of the board a copy of the book The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates, which declares that when the superior or higher civil authority makes an unjust or immoral law or decree, the lesser or lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that superior authority. This concept is sometimes called interposition, and a much needed solution for many of our nations issues.

“I have a simple request for the board: Make elections boring again!” said Brad Barnes, Etowah Republican Assembly chapter leader. “If everything was going well, we would be home. We wouldn’t be here,” said Tess Sharp, one of the activists. The fact that thousands of Georgians are showing up at their county Board of Elections meetings around the state to share concerns and their lack of trust in the accuracy or the elections system, is sending a strong message to Georgia’s election officials.

Linda Menk, GRA member from Coweta County didn’t mince words, “You said you are all volunteers, that means you’re order-takers. You take orders from Governor Kemp, ‘Ratsberger’, and Chris Carr and they are as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, and everybody in this room knows it.”  The audience erupted in applause at this, despite the Chairman’s previous request to refrain from applauding.

Many concerns centered around the Dominion Ballot Marking Device which uses a QR code that is unverifiable by the voter, or anyone attempting to audit the election results, and the Halderman report which clearly lays out numerous technical vulnerabilities inherent in the Dominion system.

“In DeKalb, the only audited race, we found that the machine had picked the wrong winner,” said Kevin Parker with Citizens Defending Freedom, who is also a GRA Member, referencing a local election where a candidate, Michelle Long Spears did not receive a single vote in her own precinct, despite knowing she and her husband had voted for her in that precinct. A hand recount discovered 6,000 votes in her favor, winning her the nomination. Parker reiterated that the board must restore voting confidence in our elections, and “dump Dominion.”

GRA member Sondra Martin from Cherokee County asked, “What do you have to lose by listening to the people that you serve?  Is there a reason why paper ballots is not a good idea?” 

Many of the attendees were appalled by the polytheistic prayer with which Chairman William Duffey opened the meeting. “To the god which we believe, whether it’s a Christian god, or a Muslim god, or a Jewish god, or any other god, or any other faith—we ask that you be present with all of us, including those who have no faith at all.  We would like for everybody to be comforted by that which they call [inaudible] for comfort….

Several of the activists found the prayer so offensive, they added a comment about it during their allotted two minutes of speaking time. Sondra Martin called it “a non-prayer to non-gods.” Perhaps there is a connection between the lawlessness displayed by government officials and their lack of belief in the God of the Bible who judges kings and rulers by His unchanging standard of justice and who ultimately provides accountability for our actions. Thankfully, we can rest confident that God’s authority over and accountability for government leaders is not dependent on man’s recognition of that authority. 

For more information on how to submit a petition to your Board of Commissioners or Board of Elections download templates here.