EXCLUSIVE: Muscogee County Election Board files to prevent Georgia Election Board ‘Hand Count Rule’ in 2024 election

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — The Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registrations filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to block the implementation a new rule put in place by the Georgia State Election Board.

The rule the Muscogee County Board opposes is the “Hand Count” rule. The rule states that after the polling place closes, and all votes have been cast, three sworn precinct polling officers will independently count the number of votes cast in each ballot box. They will not tabulate the vote totals for each candidate.

The Muscogee County board alleges the new voting rule implemented by the state board contradicts Georgia law, leaving the board in a state of legal uncertainty saying, “Compliance with the Hand Counting Rule runs contrary to O.C.G.A ss 21-2-420, which requires that after completing the required accounting and related documentation for a precinct, ‘the poll manager and at least one assistance manager shall… immediately deliver all required documentation and election materials to the election superintendent.'”

In addition to claiming the rule contradicts Georgia law, the Muscogee Board says hand counting the ballots would delay election results and increase voter distrust.

“Hand-counting also introduces more possibilities for human error, which creates opportunities for misinformation about the the certainty of election results,” the petition reads.

The Muscogee County Board also claims the Hand Count Rule would cause unnecessary expenditures as it would require new training for poll workers and require those workers to do more work.

Nancy Boren, Director of Elections and Registration for Muscogee County says the board filed the petition because of the difficulties last minute changes like these cause.

“So the Muskogee County Board of Elections and Registration works tirelessly to provide fair, legal and orderly, orderly elections for Muscogee County voters,” Boren said. “Injecting last minute changes into the process, makes it difficult for the elections administrators and for the poll workers and for the board to continue that process.”

In addition to Muscogee County, the Cobb County election board filed a similar lawsuit. Boren said the decision to file the lawsuit was not a snap decision.

“So not just Muscogee County, but statewide elections officials.” We wrote many letters to the state elections board explaining our position why it would be difficult at the last moment to make these wholesale changes and processes. And our chair of the Board of Elections also wrote a letter and it was on responded to.

The case has been assigned to Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Bobby Peters.

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