logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Is Georgia the first state to decertify 2020 election results?

By Dana Ford
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

An article making that claim apparently assumes that a new audit will turn up evidence of fraud and, if it does, Georgia's governor will call a special legislative session to decertify the results of the 2020 election. Neither premise is proven.

Georgia has not decertified its election results—in fact, no state has.

The claim has its roots in an audit of absentee ballots in Fulton County. On May 21, 2021, a judge agreed, as part of an ongoing lawsuit, to unseal the ballots so they can be inspected and scanned. 

Georgia has already conducted several audits, including a hand recount, and all have affirmed the original outcome of the vote. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recertified the results of the presidential election on December 7, 2020. He said: "We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Georgia Secretary Of State certifies election, Kraken Case dismissed
Fulton County (Georgia) Judge's ruling allowing Georgia absentee ballots audit
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.