New Georgia election rule requires county to probe election results

Georgia progressives say the state election board's new rule requiring counties to conduct a "reasonable inquiry" before certifying the results could wreak havoc in the November election and beyond.

Why it matters: Georgia is home to 159 counties, which means Georgia has 159 county election boards. Those boards are required by law to certify the results of elections.

• Opponents of the measure say Georgia law is clear that county election boards "shall" certify results, meaning they can't exercise discretion.

Threat level: A single county board's inquiry — the new rule does not define what that entails — could delay or halt the certification of results, state Rep. Saira Draper (D-Atlanta) told Axios.

Zoom out: The rule is the latest skirmish over what the Associated Press' Jeff Amy succinctly called an " administrative afterthought " that has become a national battleground over post-election results, including Georgia's in 2020.

The other side: Supporters of the measure, including Republican board member Janice Johnston, argue that Georgia law rules require county election board members to vouch for the accuracy of the results.

• "If elections are conducted fairly and legally and accurately, most of the time, they are certified. So it's not the end of the world," Johnston said at Tuesday's meeting, according to the AJC . "We're not asking the board to do a full election audit or a forensic audit. We're just asking for a reasonable inquiry."

Intrigue: Georgia House Minority Whip Sam Park (D-Lawrenceville) expressed concerns after former President Trump praised Johnston and two other Republican board members by name at his Aug. 3 Atlanta rally , WSB reports . Johnston also attended the GOP nominee's event.

What they're saying: Draper argues that the new rule is beyond the board's authority and could sow chaos and distrust in the election system across the political spectrum.

What's next: The rule would take effect 20 days after its Tuesday passage, the AJC reports , but could face a legal challenge.

• In a message on X , Raffensperger said Georgia law requires counties to certify the Nov. 5 election results by Nov. 12th "and we fully anticipate that counties will follow the law."