The Georgia State Election Board has decided that paper ballots will be manually tallied by poll workers on the night of the upcoming election, stirring significant debate.
A recent 3-2 vote by the board has institutionalized a rule demanding on-site hand counts at polling locations immediately after voting concludes, Fox News reported.
The contentious decision has faced opposition from several state entities, including the state attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office, and a group representing county election officials. Critics argue it introduces complexities that could disrupt the timely reporting of election results and question the legality of the last-minute rule change.
Under the new regulation, each precinct must employ three workers to tally the paper ballots until their counts align. This process could extend vote reporting times, especially in precincts with a high voter turnout. If a precinct's scanner accumulates over 750 ballots, the hand count may continue into the following day, potentially delaying final results further.
Despite opposition, notable conservative figures have praised the board's decision. Liz Harrington publicly hailed it as “great news” on social media platform X, while Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene celebrated the move as a stride toward "election integrity."
John Fervier, the Board Chairperson and a Republican, expressed reservations about the feasibility of implementing such a rule close to an election. “I do think it's too close to the election," he admitted, highlighting challenges in training poll workers adequately on short notice.
From the Attorney General’s office, a memo suggested that the board’s rule likely runs afoul of existing laws. The office criticized the mandate for being “not tethered to any statute” and for potentially constituting unauthorized legislative behavior by the agency.
John Fervier voiced concerns over the rushed nature of the rule and its impact: "It's too late to train a lot of poll workers."
Officials instituted the rule ahead of a critical election season, positioning Georgia as a pivotal battleground state. Voters cast over five million votes there in the 2020 presidential election, with more than half being early votes. The timing of this change has raised concerns about its impact on election integrity and administration.
The rule's approval followed a rally last month in Atlanta, where former President Donald Trump lauded the three board members who subsequently voted in favor of the new counting method. A push for enhanced security measures in election management has been a recurring theme among certain political factions within the state.
Last-minute legislative changes to electoral processes tend to generate uncertainty and scrutiny, particularly in states with tight election margins. The Georgia State Election Board's new mandate stands as a testament to the ongoing national debate over voting procedures and oversight.
In opposition to the change, the Attorney General’s office issued a warning about the rule's shaky legal standing and practical ramifications a day before its enactment.
The rule mandating hand counts in Georgia’s elections continues to garner attention and criticism, highlighting a deep divide on how best to ensure election security and accuracy. As legal discussions proceed, the effectiveness and legality of the rule will likely come under closer examination as the election approaches.
