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Georgia official responds to 315,000 Ballots not properly signed in 2020

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Georgia official responds to 315,000 Ballots not properly signed in 2020


Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has said a “clerical error” in the state does not “erase valid, legal votes,” responding to renewed scrutiny of Georgia’s 2020 election results, which former President Donald Trump has repeatedly and falsely claimed was “stolen” from him.

Earlier this month, Fulton County acknowledged before the Georgia State Election Board that more than 130 tabulator tapes from the 2020 election were not signed, a lapse officials said involved about 315,000 ballots and which brought renewed scrutiny and questioning of the results even though multiple audits, including a hand count, affirmed the results.

Newsweek has reached out to Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts for comment via email on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

Trump and his allies have consistently claimed, without evidence of widespread voter fraud, that the 2020 election was stolen and that former President Joe Biden did not win in Georgia and other states.

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In early January 2021, ahead of Biden taking office, Trump infamously called Raffensperger, a Republican, asking him to help “find” enough votes to overturn the election. Biden won the 2020 election with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232, and even if Georgia was flipped for Trump, Biden still would have won the election.

There have been multiple audits, recounts and investigations into Georgia’s 2020 election, including a statewide hand recount and audit that confirmed the original results, as well as reviews by state officials and election boards addressing procedural errors and fraud allegations.

What To Know

Earlier this month, Fulton County attorney Ann Brumbaugh told the Georgia State Election Board that the county “does not dispute that the tapes were not signed,” calling the missing signatures “a violation of the rule.”

Georgia state Rule 183-1-12-.12 states that after polls close, and in order to tabulate results, “the poll manager and the two witnesses shall cause each ballot scanner to print three tapes of the tabulated results and shall sign each tape indicating that it is a true and correct copy of the tape produced by the ballot scanner.” This was not properly done for more than 130 tapes, which accounts for around 315,000 votes.

However, the lack of signature does not negate the ballots, and they have been recounted multiple times to verify results.

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In a Saturday X post, Raffensperger reiterated this, writing “all voters were verified with photo ID and lawfully cast their ballots.” He continued, “A clerical error at the end of the day does not erase valid, legal votes.”

The news of the missing signatures has ignited claims that the election was stolen among several Republicans and Make America Great Again (MAGA) leaders, including Elon Musk chiming in that “massive voting fraud [was] uncovered,” and the president who reshared a post on his Truth Social account arguing that in Georgia “intentional human intervention” led the election to to be taken from Trump.

What People Are Saying

Representative Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican, said in December 20 X post: “President Trump is owed a massive apology. Turns out over 300,000 early votes in the 2020 election were illegally certified but still included in the final results. I’m tired of empty words from weak leaders. The people of Georgia deserve action.”

Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts told Channel 2: “We do not have anything to hide, and we will never have anything to hide as long as I’m here.”

Steve Bannon said in a GETTR post on the matter: “Mr President, Please No More Strongly Worded Letters from DoJ…Call Out the U.S. Marshals, Seize the Ballots, the Machines and Arrest the Guilty.”

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Donald Trump Jr. said in a December 19 X post: “So what we all knew back in 2020, what we all stated out loud and everyone in the media, the establishment, and the Washington DC machine lied about ended up being 100% true. I’m so shocked! Yet another conspiracy theory proven right!”

What Happens Next

On Friday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney granted the election board access to the country’s 2020 ballots. He ruled that the election board must pay for the matter, which Fulton County has estimated it will cost nearly $400,000 to comply with the subpoena. The judge has ordered the county to produce a detailed cost list by January 7.

Brumbaugh has noted that “procedures have been updated,” and “since then, the training has been enhanced, the poll watchers are trained specifically. They’ve got to sign the tapes in the morning, and they’ve got to sign the tapes when they’re run at the end of the day.”



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Why Southern Living is spotlighting serene coastal escape in Georgia

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Why Southern Living is spotlighting serene coastal escape in Georgia


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A quiet stretch of the Georgia coast is back in the national spotlight.

In a recent feature, Southern Living highlighted the Golden Isles as one of the South’s most serene escapes, praising the region’s undeveloped marshes, barrier islands and slower pace compared to other East Coast beach destinations.

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Located roughly halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, the Golden Isles include Brunswick, Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island.

Here’s what to know.

What makes Georgia’s Golden Isles different?

Unlike more densely developed beach towns in neighboring states, Georgia’s coastline is defined by tidal creeks, salt marshes and wide stretches of protected land.

“The coast of Georgia is quite different than the shores of North Carolina or South Carolina,” Southern Living wrote. “It’s wilder and quieter, and it’s much less populated with beach towns.”

While the islands offer modern resorts and vacation homes, much of the natural character remains intact.

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One of the most photographed spots is Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, known for its haunting remains of a maritime forest scattered along the shoreline.

Where are visitors staying?

The publication pointed to several well-known properties across the islands:

  • The Cloister at Sea Island
  • Jekyll Island Club Resort
  • St. Simons Island: The Grey Owl Inn and the St. Simons Lighthouse.

Little St. Simons Island, accessible only by boat, was highlighted for its all-inclusive lodge and thousands of acres of protected marshland and upland habitat.

What can you do in the Golden Isles?

Southern Living emphasized simple, immersive experiences:

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  • Biking under live oaks
  • Kayaking through marsh creeks
  • Horseback riding along the beach
  • Watching sunsets over the water.

Public beaches like East Beach on St. Simons Island remain open to visitors, while golf courses on Jekyll Island and St. Simons offer year-round play.

The region’s history also plays a major role. Visitors can climb the St. Simons Lighthouse, explore historic districts in Brunswick or learn about Gullah Geechee heritage through local organizations.

For more information, visit southernliving.com/georgias-golden-isles-11906085.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.



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Gov. Kemp signs amended FY 2026 budget, delivering $2B in Georgia tax relief

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Gov. Kemp signs amended FY 2026 budget, delivering B in Georgia tax relief


Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday signed HB 973, the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

The amended budget includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, alongside investments in education, public safety, mental health, transportation and rural development.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones praised Gov. Kemp, saying the budget…

“Makes critical investments in middle-class families, mental health services, healthcare workforce development, transportation and Georgia’s veterans community.”

Key allocations in the amended budget include:

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  • Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship, a new needs-based scholarship program; $6 million for a Career Navigator tool; and funding for new and expanded programs at University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions.
  • Public Safety: $150 million for Department of Corrections bed space, $9.7 million for additional corrections officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility, and $50 million to help communities address homelessness, including among veterans.
  • Mental Health: $409 million to design and construct a new Georgia Regional Hospital to expand mental health bed capacity.
  • Transportation: More than $1.6 billion to extend and expand I-75 express lanes in Henry County; $185 million for SR 316 interchange conversions; $100 million for rural bridge rehabilitation and replacement; and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants.
  • Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants; $35 million for a new natural gas infrastructure program; and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative.

Governor Kemp says the state’s conservative budgeting approach has allowed Georgia to provide tax relief while making “generational investments.”



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Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’

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Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’


Middle Georgia Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has issued a statement regarding the U.S. and Israel’s joint strikes on Iran over the weekend.

According to other WGXA articles, based on reports as of early March 2026, the United States and Israel have launched major, coordinated military operations against Iran, labeled in reports as “Operation Epic Fury” and “Operation Midnight Hammer”. This follows months of failed nuclear negotiations and escalating regional tensions.

RELATED | Hegseth insists US-Israel strikes on Iran are ‘not Iraq, not endless’

WGXA asked Middle Georgia DSA, the largest activist organization in Middle Georgia, for their opinions on the strikes, and they responded with this:

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The strikes on Iran, carried out by the United States and Israel, mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal act of aggression. The Iranian people do not deserve to live in fear of American bombs and of the instability of regime change. Americans do not want our tax dollars and the lives of our people to be wasted on opening up a new war in the Middle East, or on bombing girls’ elementary schools. We want relief from the affordability crisis. We want peace. Middle Georgia DSA unequivocally condemns these attacks and any politicians who cannot do the same. We do not want this, we do not deserve this.

DSA added that they are not currently planning any protests at this time, and that they “remain focused on improving the conditions of people who live within our communities directly, and do not feel a protest is the best strategy to deliver on that.”

Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’, March 2, 2026 (Image is meant to say 2026 instead of 2025, Courtesy of GCSU Mutual Aid)

However, GCSU Mutual Aid, a grassroots, community-led initiative focused on collective care and resource sharing within the Milledgeville and broader Middle Georgia area. While not an official department of Georgia College & State University (GCSU), it frequently operates in coordination with student-led groups and local residents to address gaps in traditional social safety nets.

RELATED | GCSU encourages peaceful expression ahead of national ICE walkout

GCSU Mutual Aid is planning a protest for Wednesday, where they will be “Marching for Democracy” in retaliation to recent events in the U.S.

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