Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has opened an investigation into allegations of lost absentee ballot applications during the 2018 election cycle. The investigation has been launched in response to a series of accusations by the Democratic Party of Georgia, who claims that at least 4,700 absentee ballot applications were misplaced -- preventing voters from receiving their requested absentee ballots.

“There is nothing I take more seriously than guaranteeing election integrity and bringing free and fair elections to every eligible voter, whether they choose to vote absentee or on Election Day,” said Raffensperger. “My office will exhaust every resource to investigate these allegations to deliver our voters peace of mind with a thorough examination of hard evidence.”

The investigation will be completed as soon as possible in the interest of ensuring secure absentee ballot application processing for upcoming elections.

“We look forward to working closely with the Democratic Party of Georgia to examine every piece of evidence related to these allegations,” said Chief Investigator Russell Lewis.

The investigation will be conducted by the Investigations Division of the Secretary of State’s Office.