Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wrote an editorial for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday defending the state’s election administration and arguing that Georgia has built what he called the nation’s “gold standard” for election administration.

The essay came as President Donald Trump has continued a campaign to challenge the integrity of elections and target Republicans who do not align with him. In his editorial, Raffensperger did not mention Trump by name, but he addressed the broader arguments about election confidence directly.

“In an era when confidence in elections is too often shaped by partisan rhetoric rather than proven results, Georgia has taken a different approach: Build the nation’s gold standard for election administration and prove its success at every election,” Raffensperger wrote. “The recently completed statewide primary and runoff are the latest examples. Millions of Georgians cast their ballots, votes were reported promptly, post-election audits confirmed the results and election officials across all 159 counties once again demonstrated that elections can be secure, accessible, transparent and efficient at the same time.”

He added, “While other states continue debating how elections should work or struggle to produce timely results, Georgia continues proving how they can work.”

Raffensperger said public opinion reflected support for Georgia’s approach. “That success is also reflected in public opinion,” he wrote. “A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia poll found that 70 [percent] of likely Democratic primary voters and 77 [percent] of likely Republican primary voters said they were very or somewhat confident that Georgia’s primary election would be conducted fairly and accurately.”

He also said the state is preparing for future elections. “Our rigorous preparation for November is already underway,” Raffensperger said. “Voting equipment is being tested, poll workers are receiving additional training, cybersecurity protections continue to be strengthened, voter rolls are being maintained in accordance with state and federal law, and state and local officials are coordinating to protect election infrastructure. Mandatory post-election audits, public observation opportunities, and Georgia’s Election Data Hub will once again ensure transparency throughout the election process.”

Raffensperger concluded, “Confidence in the system can’t be dictated from above. It is earned through transparency, accountability and results. That’s the standard Georgia has set, and that’s the standard we will continue to uphold.”

Raffensperger is best known for refusing Trump’s request to “find 11,780 votes” to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election result, which shifted from Trump to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Trump later opposed Raffensperger’s 2022 reelection bid for secretary of state, but Raffensperger won both his primary and general election. In 2026, Raffensperger sought the Republican nomination for governor but lost to billionaire Rick Jackson.