With the state closing in on 1.5 million licensed, registered businesses, Georgia continues to solidify its reputation as the number one state for business. This ranking has been maintained for over a decade, and the Secretary of State’s office is committed to preserving it. Secretary Brad Raffensperger underscored his goal of delivering excellent services, among other key priorities, during his address to business professionals at the Gwinnett Chamber On Topic Luncheon presented by Porter Steel.

Raffensperger emphasized Georgia’s robust economic landscape, from entrepreneurial ventures to large industry operations, and discussed ongoing efforts to modernize the state’s licensing software systems, with plans to implement these updates over the next two years. He highlighted the importance of professional licensing, noting that his office currently manages around 140 different types of licenses across 40 boards, and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing online applications and customer service calls to provide top-tier licensing service to Georgia’s business professionals.

“As a small business owner, I uniquely understand what our businesses face daily,” Raffensperger said. “That is why I fight every day to cut the red tape and hold unelected bureaucrats accountable to you… keeping Georgia the number one place to do business.”

Raffensperger also addressed the most pressing responsibility of his office: ensuring safe, secure elections. He described the challenges of this role, particularly given the complexities of swing-state national elections and global pandemics and emphasized his continued leadership with integrity and a genuine passion for Georgia and the nation. Since 2018, Raffensperger has implemented strategic measures to secure the vote, including an auditable paper ballot system and expanded voter accessibility. He explained that all voting methods—early, absentee, or day-of—require photo identification, with eight different acceptable forms of ID. Post-COVID voting habits show that absentee voting accounts for only 6-7% of the vote, with more than 90% of voters choosing to vote in person, either early or on election day. Despite media attention on absentee ballots, Raffensperger noted that this method is not widely chosen by citizens in Georgia. He praised the diligent work of election directors across Georgia’s 159 counties, ensuring fair, honest, and secure elections, and highlighted the strong relationships his office maintains with each county.

In his closing remarks, Raffensperger reinforced his deep commitment to Georgia and its people, stating that there is no better place for opportunity than the United States, and no better state in which to build a future than Georgia. He assured business leaders, employees, and citizens that their voices matter and their votes count, but only once.