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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How Georgia’s new election rules could lead to disputes over the results
By Isaac Sabetai - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mark Niesse - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
22 days ago
The State Election Board this year approved a series of contentious rules that could lead to disputes over the results.
Former President Donald Trump has praised three board members who voted for the measures and called them “ pit bulls. ” Democrats and some Republicans have blasted the new rules. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called the board members “unelected bureaucrats” and denounced some of the proposals .
The board faces several lawsuits , including one led by a former Republican state legislator, that the board has exceeded its authority.
Supporters of the rules say they are needed to ensure every legal vote is counted and officials have the power to investigate potential irregularities. Voting rights advocates oppose the rules, saying they’re vague and would give officials an easy path to oppose or delay certifying an election, which a growing number of local officials have done since 2020.
County election boards are required by law to certify the presidential election one week after Election Day, but a refusal to do so could create disputes over the results, launch court battles and potentially delay final vote counts of who won the election. All legal votes must be counted, according to state and federal laws.
Who sits on the board overseeing Georgia’s 2024 Election Rules?
There are five members on the board. Each is nominated by a different political entity. Since Republicans control state government, there are currently four GOP members and one Democrat.
John Fervier, chairperson
Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Fervier in January. He is vice president of risk management and security for Waffle House and did not have any election experience before his selection.
The Republican Party chose Johnston for the election board in 2022. She is a retired obstetrician who has also served as a poll worker and absentee ballot monitor, and is a Fulton County election office critic .
Rick Jeffares
The Georgia Senate appointed Jeffares, a former state senator, in January. Democrats accused him of being an election denier , and Jeffares has said he doesn’t know whether the 2020 election was legitimate.
Janelle King
A former deputy state director for the Georgia Republican Party and media personality, she was appointed to the election board in May by Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns.
What has the board done? Here is a timeline of recent election board actions and responses from key officials.
May 9: The State Election Board begins work on a rule that would require a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying Georgia elections . A Republican county election board member in Fulton County who refused to sign off on this year’s presidential primary, Michael Heekin, made the request.
July 12: Three days later, Republican members of the board hold an impromptu meeting . The board advances proposals to expand access to partisan poll watchers during ballot counting and to require all county election boards to post daily online ballot counts. Before the meeting, the attorney general’s office warned all members of the board the meeting could violate the state’s Open Meetings Act.
July 18: A left-leaning open government group American Oversight files a lawsuit alleging the July 12 meeting was illegal because it was called with just over 24 hours’ notice and wasn’t livestreamed for the public.
Aug. 7: The board’s majority votes to reopen an investigation into Fulton’s 2020 presidential recount. Fervier — Kemp’s appointee — and Ghazal — the Democratic Party’s appointee — vote against both measures.
Aug. 20: The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials calls on the State Election Board to stop changing rules so close to an election . Election officials say they are in the middle of training poll workers and the new rules could lead to confusion and errors.
Sept. 11: Two Republicans -- former Republican state Rep. Scot Turner and Chatham County election board member James Hall -- file a lawsuit against the State Election Board . They say the board has exceeded its authority and some of the new rules are unconstitutional.
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