Key Takeaways:
– Georgia’s State Election Board approves new rule that mandates manual counting of paper ballots post-voting.
– Critics are concerned that this process could delay the announcement of election night results.
– Despite opposition from state attorney general’s office and Secretary of State’s office, the rule was passed by three Republican board members.
– The rule is part of the recent controversial proposals backed by Trump’s allies, with concerns being raised about the potential to cause chaos and undermine public confidence.
– The new rule necessitates the verification of the paper ballot numbers with electronic tallies and requires three consecutive identical counts by poll workers at each polling station.
New Rule Mandates Manual Ballot Count
The State Election Board of Georgia approved a controversial rule on Friday that requires poll workers to manually count the number of paper ballots after voting is conducted. This decision comes despite the ardent opposition from the state attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office, and an association of county election officials, raising concerns over delayed election night results.
Rule Backed by Republican Board Members
The decision was made by three Republican board members, who received praise from former President Trump last month in an Atlanta rally. These members voted in favor of the measure, with the only Democrat on the board and nonpartisan chair voting against it.
The State Election Board’s rule drew attention amidst the recent controversial votes, with several theories proposed by Trump allies. Democrats, legal experts, and public confidence advocates fear these rules could be leveraged by Trump and his backers to create widespread disturbance in the swing state and undercut results if Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, wins the upcoming election.
Legalities Questioned
A memo from Republican state Atty. Gen. Chris Carr’s office sent to election board members on Thursday pointed out that no provision in state law permits counting the number of ballots by hand before delivering them to county election officials. The memo further warned that the rule might not survive a legal contest as it “is not tethered to any statute” which might constitute “impermissible legislation”.
Incidentally, two rules approved by the board last month are being legally challenged. The rules that dealt with vote count certification are under scrutiny in parallel lawsuits: one filed by the Democrats and the other by a conservative group. A trial is set for the Democrats’ lawsuit on Oct. 1.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, labeled the hand-counting rule “misguided” last month. He believed it would not only delay election results but also could potentially endanger chain-of-custody procedures.
Operational Details of the Rule
The new rule insists on three separate and identical manual counts of the paper ballots at each polling station, regardless of how voters made their choices. If scanners show more than 750 ballots at the end of voting, the count can be deferred to the next day by the poll manager.
This rule’s proponents argue that it would validate the paper ballot numbers against the electronic tallies recorded on scanners, check-in machines, and voting machinery. Any discrepancies must be recorded in addition to making attempts to resolve them.
However, several county election officials, during the public comment session, voiced their concerns. They cautioned that manual counting could delay the vote announcements and would also exert additional strain on poll workers after an exhausting day.
Voicing similar apprehensions, the Georgia Assn. of Voter Registration and Election Officials warned that the new rule could eventually erode the public trust in the election process. This group comprises over 500 election officials and workers across the state.