ATLANTA — Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger faces mounting pressure to delay the primary — again.

State and congressional lawmakers have urged Raffensperger to delay the primary — that includes the presidential preference and state elections — to summer due to complications from COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia.

Raffensperger told CNHI Wednesday that his office’s job is to execute elections “pure and simple.”

“I execute the elections, and I don’t create them,” he said. “It’s really the leadership of the General Assembly and the governor. They want to hold the election on May 19? We’re going to support that and do our best to make it happen efficiently, safely and accurately. Likewise, if the General Assembly and the governor want to move that election to June or July, we’re going to support that.”

Raffensperger said it is a big and complicated task to move an election. With no updated guidance from the Department of Public Health or federal health officials on the potential risk of holding the primary in May, officials must wait to see where the pandemic will be in a month.

The March 24 presidential preference primary was delayed to May 19 last month with bipartisan support. Raffensperger since has sent out absentee ballot applications to all registered and active Georgia voters to give residents the chance to vote from home and avoid health risks.

“The Department of Homeland Security has identified voting as critical infrastructure,” he told CNHI. “We understand how important the voting process is and we also understand how important it is to make sure that people stay safe and healthy. We have these two issues right now coming at us from both sides.”

Raffensperger said parties requesting the second delay will need to direct their question to the legislature and governor.

On Tuesday, the entire Republican congressional delegation penned a letter to Raffensperger encouraging him to use “all available flexibility and legal authority” to further postpone the primary election.

The letter says if the primary is held May 19, early voting would by law be required to begin April 27, which would defy President Donald Trump’s social distancing guidelines scheduled through April 30.

“As you yourself have said, the average poll worker in Georgia is over the age of 70, a group that medical experts have indicated is especially vulnerable to this virus,” the congressional delegation wrote Raffensperger. “Moving forward with an election date that requires early voting to begin during a time when every public health agency has stated that ‘if you are an older person, stay home and away from other people’ is irresponsible.”

The Georgia congressional delegation continues it would accrue additional costs to the state and local entities while possibly allowing an infected individual to spread the virus further.

“Georgia voters should not be asked to choose between exercising that right and following the guidance of federal, state, and local officials to keep themselves, their families, and our communities healthy,” according to the letter.

The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, as well as U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter, Drew Ferguson, Rob Woodall, Austin Scott, Doug Collins, Jody Hice, Barry Loudermilk, Rick Allen and Tom Graves.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Raffensperger said he does not have the authority to extend the primary election again under Georgia law. Georgia allows elections to be delayed by 45 days in emergency situations; with the May 19 date, he said, his office has “fully exhausted” that time period.

If the elections were to be delayed further, he said, it would require Gov. Brian Kemp and the legislature to extend the governor’s public health emergency declaration.

“The law provides the Secretary of State with responsibility for running safe, secure, and reliable elections,” he said, “and we have provided a plan to do that given the current situation by ensuring that every Georgia voter can vote an absentee ballot from their home, training counties on social distancing at polling places, and providing supplies to clean and disinfect voting equipment.”

Raffensperger said if the legislature desires to propose and pass legislation that would give more flexibility to scheduling state elections, he would work with them willingly.

House Speaker David Ralston has sent multiple requests to Raffensperger to delay the primary until summer. Ralston sent letters to Raffensperger last week and Sunday.

The House leader requested the primary be delayed until June 16, to give time for Georgia’s thousands of precincts to stock up on cleaning supplies and update the elections process to include social distancing guidelines.

“I know there is a plan to provide them with cleaning supplies and to practice social distancing,” Ralston said. “But a delay of a month would allow more time for testing, health responses and other precautions.”

Raffensperger said about half the office’s mass shipments of sanitizing wipes and sprays are nearly ready to be sent out to counties, with remaining cleaning supplies to follow. The office also has N-95 masks on backorder for poll workers.

“I fully understand both the concerns that people have from the health aspect and also the economic aspects,” he told CNHI on Wednesday. “We have these two situations going on: the economy is really being stressed right now and so is our health care system. We’re very mindful of that and everyone is working diligently and doing the best they can, under very trying circumstances.”