Georgia's top election official after Sens. Loeffler, Perdue call on him to resign: 'That is not going to happen'

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a presser at Liberty Plaza, across the street from the Georgia State Capitol building, in downtown Atlanta, Monday, April 6, 2020. Raffensperger announced the creation of an "absentee ballot task force" that will investigate reports of fraud as Georgia expands mail-in voting for the May 19 primary election. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Associated Press

• Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler called on their Secretary of State to resign over unfounded allegations of mismanagement and lack of transparency in the election. 
• Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rebuffed Perdue and Loeffler's claims, for which there is no evidence supporting them.
• Both Perdue and Loeffler are staring down a final fight to keep their Senate seats, with a January 5 runoff that pits them against Democratic challengers, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger refused to resign after the state's two Republican senators called on him to do so.

"Let me start by saying that is not going to happen," Raffensperger wrote in the statement. "I know emotions are running high. Politics are involved in everything right now. If I was Senator Perdue, I'd be irritated I was in a runoff. And both Senators and I are all unhappy with the potential outcome for our President."

—GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) November 9, 2020

Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler called on Raffensperger, who is also a Republican, to resign and alleged there was mismanagement and a lack of transparency in the election, despite providing no proof, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 

Raffensperger asserted that the vote-counting process was fair and orderly. 

President-elect Joe Biden overtook President Donald Trump in Georgia early Friday when Decision Desk HQ and Insider called the election for Biden. As of Monday, Biden was ahead of Trump in Georgia by more than 11,400 votes.

While there will be a recount in the state, Biden has won the overall election, surpassing the necessary 270 electoral votes to secure a victory. If Biden does officially win Georgia, he would be the first Democrat to flip the Republican stronghold state since 1992. 

Trump has repeatedly made false claims that the election was being "stolen" from him, and demanded recounts in several states. 

A recount is not expected to surface enough additional votes to change the results of the election. Raffensperger dismissed any hope Trump and his allies may have that a recount would flip more votes in the incumbent president's favor.

"That is unlikely," Raffensperger said in a statement. 

Both Perdue and Loeffler are staring down a final fight to keep their Senate seats, with a January 5 runoff that pits them against their respective Democratic challengers, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

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