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It’s a new legislative session, and elections are again among the hot topics being discussed by Georgia lawmakers and state officials. Tuesday morning, Lt. Governor Burt Jones and state Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, introduced legislation that would ban Ranked-choice voting in Georgia – something that Jones said has been talked about for the past few years “by the Left, opening the door for voter confusion, political manipulation, and increased polarization.”

Senate Bill 355 defines ranked voting as “a voting method that allows electors to rank candidates for an office in order of preference and has ballots cast be tabulated in multiple rounds following the elimination of a candidate until a single candidate attains a majority.”

“Ranked-choice voting is designed to cause confusion and fatigue among voters,” said Jones. “This type of voting system, pushed by dark money groups, could cause a drastic increase in the number of ballots being thrown out, disenfranchising Georgia voters. Georgians deserve to have the utmost faith in their elections, and those pushing Ranked-choice voting are only hindering that faith. I am proud to ban this electoral disaster and work to make Georgia’s elections the safest in the nation.”

Robertson said this legislation will continue the mission started with SB 202 (2021), “of being proactive in ensuring Georgians can trust their elections and trust that their vote will be counted.”

“The integrity of Georgia’s elections and increasing every Georgia voter’s faith in their elections system should be a priority for every member of the General Assembly,” said Robertson.

SB 355 was introduced on the same day that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger referred 17 casefiles to district attorneys related to individuals suspected of voting twice in the 2022 General Election. According to Raffensperger, these individuals are suspected of voting once in Georgia as well as casting an additional ballot in the 2022 General Election in another state.

District Attorneys will evaluate these casefiles and pursue indictments where appropriate, he said.

“One illegal vote cast is too many,” said Raffensperger. “Georgians deserve to have their voice heard fully, not have it diluted by bad actors.”

The cases of double voting involve records from Barrow, Chatham, Cobb, Douglas, Fannin, Forsyth, Fulton, Morgan, and Tift counties who are believed to have cast a ballot in another state.