“Trust in our elections has been shaken,” Jones said in a video announcing his campaign for secretary of state. He added, “Our elections must be secure. Our ballots must be protected.”
Before his loss to Collins, Jones served several terms in Georgia’s state House before he became a Republican in January 2021 as his final term came to an end. Jones became a lauded voice in Republican circles as an African American who endorsed Trump’s reelection campaign.
The secretary of state oversees state elections and corporate filings, professional licenses and other business activities.
If elected, Jones said he would push for the use of paper ballots instead of Georgia’s electronic system, limit mail-in voting and toughen voter ID laws. He would also try to “cut red tape” for small businesses.
Fleming heads a committee studying Georgia’s election system and is another vocal proponent of hand-marked paper ballots, a key demand from activists skeptical of the state’s voting machines.
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