Former Georgia officials say they’re teaming up to defend the legitimacy of elections

ATLANTA (AP) — Four prominent former officials in Georgia, which has been a major front in disinformation over the democratic process, are joining a group that says it will try to counteract efforts to make people distrust elections.

Those joining the Democracy Defense Project, whose launch was announced Tuesday, include two Georgia Republicans, former Gov. Nathan Deal and former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, and two Democrats, former Gov. Roy Barnes and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

“For far too long, politicians, pundits and activists have worked overtime to sow distrust in American’s electoral process,” Deal said in a statement. “We refuse to sit on the sidelines while the bedrock of this great nation is eroded away by misinformation and dangerous political agendas. Our goal is to restore confidence in the electoral process that makes this country exceptional.”

The four are Georgia board members in a national effort that says it will seek news coverage, as well as raise money to buy advertisements to push back against efforts to undermine elections and try to persuade people to move beyond “polarizing rhetoric.”

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