AJC:

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger launched an effort Monday to investigate voting fraud that could arise from widespread use of mailed-in ballots in Georgia’s primary.

Raffensperger, who mailed absentee ballot request forms to Georgia’s 6.9 million active voters, said he wants to ensure no one takes advantage of the state’s unprecedented reliance on remote voting for the May 19 primary.

A task force of election officials, prosecutors and law enforcement will investigate mismatched voter signatures, multiple voters at the same address and voters who use nonresidential addresses, Raffensperger said.

Election fraud is rare in Georgia, but Raffensperger said it could increase when voters avoid regular precincts during the coronavirus pandemic.