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Staff Reports

My name is Manswell Peterson and I am announcing my candidacy for the office of Secretary of State for Georgia. I will be running in the Democratic primary and would be honored to be your next Secretary of State. Before making this decision to seek office, I gave it much thought and prayer and I know that I have what it takes to serve the people of Georgia well.

I was born in Albany, Georgia and am a product of schools here and in Atlanta. My wife, Latonya and I have called Albany our home for over 12 years, and are the proud parents of two boys. I’m also a proud Navy Veteran who served our great country. Since that time, I’ve continued to serve my community as well.

In serving my community, I’ve had the displeasure of watching unethical behavior from our leadership, and I could not stand on the sidelines anymore. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our country and our right to vote is both fundamental and indispensable. I took an oath to defend the rights that are central to our freedom. The Georgia Republican party has decided that elections procedures from 2005-2020, procedures they set up, should be changed because their party suffered great losses in the last election cycle. Our right to vote is worth protecting at all times, not only when the pendulum swings in a particular party’s favor. This office needs someone with integrity who can erase the familiar stains of our “Jim Crow” history. Georgia is all too familiar with it, and recent legislation and changes are steps right back to our past.

 

It’s disgraceful that any Georgian should have to stand in line for 4 or 6 hours or longer. Technology and proper resource allocation could solve this problem. It is time to change the policies that created these problems and show our citizens that we can conduct their elections in a fair and timely manner. Regardless of the outcome, we must fulfill our duty to the people. I will work with our elections boards to implement new plans for elections going forward.

 

We do not need a Secretary of State who will sustain and push lies about voter fraud and cause Georgians not to trust our voting process. Of the millions of votes cast in our 2020 elections statewide, there were no reported issues of voter fraud. Yet, this office has used its might to suppress the people’s votes. I’m here to put an end to that. We cannot deal with another four years of Brad saying one thing today, and a completely different thing tomorrow. We cannot have a Secretary of State who will not stand up and do the right thing because he fears the wrath of his own party. SB 202 is a disgrace to Georgians today, as well as those who fought so hard for the right and those who will lead the fight to protect that right in the future. We certainly don’t need anyone in office who works to suppress votes to satisfy a party of one.

 

I pledge to all Georgians to be a Secretary of State you can be proud of, and who you can trust to protect your right to vote. I will ensure that every vote is counted fairly. I will not cater to partisan politics at the expense of Georgians’ right to be heard at the ballot. Win or lose, there will be no doubt about the outcome.