Georgia Secretary of State in quarantine after wife tests positive for COVID-19

ATLANTA — Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger is in quarantine after his wife tested positive for COVID-19, Channel 2 Action News has learned.

Tricia Raffensperger tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from traveling, sources close to the Secretary of State told Channel 2′s Justin Gray. Brad Raffensperger and his staff have all gone for testing. Those test results have not been released yet.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Election 2020]

Raffensperger most recently made an appearance at a news conference in front of the Capitol on Wednesday, where he announced that Georgia will conduct a by-hand recount.

Raffensperger was surrounded by county election officials and other people involved with the recount, as well as reporters.

Raffensperger was slated to hold another news conference on Thursday, but Voting System Implementation Manager Gabriel Sterling conducted it instead, saying he also plans to get tested.

Sterling said recount and audit/staffing procedures are in the county elections offices and hopes the pandemic doesn’t impact hard, federal deadlines when it comes to the election.

Sterling said the official recount period will start Friday at 9 a.m. and run through midnight Nov. 18.

President-elect Joe Biden is currently leading President Donald Trump by 14,000 votes in Georgia, but the margin is small enough to require a statewide recount.

GEORGIA VOTER GUIDE:

• Key Dates for 2020 Runoff Elections in Georgia
• These are the 7 races that are in a runoff in Georgia
• Did you know? You can still register to vote in Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoffs
• How to vote by absentee ballot for Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff elections

Georgia will recount all votes in presidential race by hand, Secretary of State says