Georgia judge says county election officials cannot delay or decline certification of election results
5 months ago

Georgia judge says county election officials cannot delay or decline certification of election results

CNN  

CNN — County election officials in Georgia cannot delay or decline to certify election results, a state judge ruled Monday, dealing a blow to an effort by conservatives in the critical battleground state to gain the legal right to reject results based on a suspicion of fraud or abuse. “Election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in an 11-page ruling. “Consequently, no election superintendent may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.” The case is one of the closely watched disputes over election certification in the critical battleground state. McBurney said in his ruling that while local superintendents have an obligation to “investigate concerns about miscounts,” such concern “is not cause to delay or decline certification.” The case was brought by Julie Adams, a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, who had asked the judge to declare that her duties in certifying election results “are discretionary not ministerial.” “If election superintendents were, as Plaintiff urges, free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge and so – because of a unilateral determination of error or fraud – refuse to certify election results, Georgia voters would be silenced,” McBurney wrote.

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History of this topic

The trend of questioning elections because the result was ‘shocking’
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The trend of questioning elections because the result was ‘shocking’

Firstpost  

Earlier this week, Romania’s top court ordered a recount of votes in the first round of the presidential election and the country’s top security body warned Romania was a key target for hostile actions from Russia after a shock result in the ballot Members of an election commission count ballots at a polling station after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, …

Controversial Trump-backed Georgia election board considers re-launching mass voter purge
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Controversial Trump-backed Georgia election board considers re-launching mass voter purge

Raw Story  

The Georgia State Election Board will hold its first post-election meeting on Monday, where it is set to consider resuming its recent push to change Georgia’s election rules and stir the debate anew about counties review controversial mass voter challenges. The State Election Board meeting is scheduled to begin Monday morning with a public comment period where people can discuss …

Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
4 months ago

Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Local officials are beginning to certify the results of this year’s presidential election in a process that, so far, has been playing out quietly, in stark contrast to the tumultuous certification period four years ago that followed then-President Donald Trump’s loss. As counties certified their results without controversy, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hailed Georgia’s election as …

Georgia Supreme Court Order Risks Disenfranchising Cobb County Voters
Trending News
4 months, 1 week ago

Georgia Supreme Court Order Risks Disenfranchising Cobb County Voters

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING MARIETTA, Ga. — About 3,400 voters in a key Georgia county received their mail-in ballots just days ago, or not at all — and on Monday, the state’s Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that gave them extra time to get their ballots in. Ballots postmarked on time but received by Friday, the court said, should …

How Donald Trump got involved as key swing state counties certified the 2020 US presidential election results, and what it means for next week's 2024 vote
4 months, 2 weeks ago

How Donald Trump got involved as key swing state counties certified the 2020 US presidential election results, and what it means for next week's 2024 vote

ABC  

It's two weeks after the 2020 US presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and the Wayne County Board of Canvassers is meeting to certify their county's result. The meeting of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to certify the 2020 presidential election results was held on Zoom. Dan Schultz had been talking about his "precinct committee strategy" for …

Georgia county says more than 3,000 absentee ballots being mailed late just days before election
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Georgia county says more than 3,000 absentee ballots being mailed late just days before election

The Independent  

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Georgia citizenship audit finds few noncitizens on voter rolls
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia citizenship audit finds few noncitizens on voter rolls

The Independent  

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Voters sue to block Virginia election board’s potential refusal to certify 2024 results
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Voters sue to block Virginia election board’s potential refusal to certify 2024 results

Raw Story  

Five Waynesboro voters have filed a lawsuit to prevent the majority of the Waynesboro Board of Elections from following through on their controversial pledge to refuse certification of the November 2024 election results, a move they argue would violate Virginia state law. The lawsuit, filed in Waynesboro Circuit Court on Oct. 21, comes after two GOP officials from Waynesboro filed …

GA Supreme Court delays ruling on controversial board rules until after election
4 months, 3 weeks ago

GA Supreme Court delays ruling on controversial board rules until after election

Raw Story  

This story was updated at 9:15 p.m Tuesday, Oct. 22, to include additional reaction to the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision. The Georgia Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon declined the Republican National Committee’s request to pause a trial court’s decision to block new Georgia State Election Board rules from taking effect for the Nov. 5 general election. The state Supreme Court issued …

New Georgia Election Rules Won’t Be Reinstated Before Election Day
4 months, 3 weeks ago

New Georgia Election Rules Won’t Be Reinstated Before Election Day

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday shot down the Republican National Committee’s attempt to reinstate controversial election rules in the crucial swing state. The RNC’s legal effort was in direct response to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox, who just last week invalidated several rules that the Georgia Election Board’s Republican-majority panel had approved in August …

2024 Election in Georgia: What to Expect on Election Day
4 months, 3 weeks ago

2024 Election in Georgia: What to Expect on Election Day

Associated Press  

In the upcoming presidential election in Georgia, both Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump are visiting the state to survey the damage and meet with affected residents and local officials. The state remains one of the top prizes in the presidential election, and the outcome could have significant implications for the outcome of the race. …

New GA rules still in play with Harris-Trump election showdown now fast and furious
4 months, 3 weeks ago

New GA rules still in play with Harris-Trump election showdown now fast and furious

Raw Story  

The ongoing fight over the recent attempted makeover of how counties run elections by the Georgia State Election Board could be left up to the state’s highest court to decide whether the panel overstepped its authority. The GOP’s lawyers aim to overturn a Fulton County judge’s ruling Wednesday that blocks the State Election Board from enacting several new rules for …

'Entirely wrongheaded': Georgia GOP lashes out after election rule changes swatted away
5 months ago

'Entirely wrongheaded': Georgia GOP lashes out after election rule changes swatted away

Raw Story  

Georgia Republicans lashed out after a judge smacked down seven election rule changes as "illegal, unconstitutional and void." Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox found the rules violated state laws, including one that would have required county election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into election results and another that would have required officials to hand-count ballots. The examination …

Trump Dismantling the Rule of Law Will Destroy the Economy
5 months ago

Trump Dismantling the Rule of Law Will Destroy the Economy

Slate  

On Tuesday, a Georgia court scored a victory for the rule of law and free and fair elections. With early voting in Georgia about to begin, McBurney’s order stated that the rule was “too much, too late” in the election cycle. Enforcement of the rule would make certification of the Georgia election by Nov. 11, as required by state law, …

Judge rejects Georgia rule that could have delayed election by requiring hand count of ballots
5 months ago

Judge rejects Georgia rule that could have delayed election by requiring hand count of ballots

Salon  

A county judge in Georgia on Tuesday blocked a new rule passed by the GOP-controlled State Elections Board that would have mandated a hand count of ballots. Related Trump called two GOP officials before they tried to rescind their votes to certify election results In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign praised the judge's decision, saying that "this rule …

Judge Rules Georgia Voters Can’t Be Silenced By Pro-Trump Election Officials
5 months ago

Judge Rules Georgia Voters Can’t Be Silenced By Pro-Trump Election Officials

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A judge in Georgia’s Fulton County ruled Monday that election board officials cannot “play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge” by refusing to certify election results based on their unilateral suspicions of fraud and more. She was the sole member of the board to refuse; afterward, she sued, arguing that county election officials wouldn’t allow her to do …

'Huge defeat for Trump': Georgia judge's ruling spurs cheers and relief
5 months ago

'Huge defeat for Trump': Georgia judge's ruling spurs cheers and relief

Raw Story  

A Georgia judge's ruling Tuesday that state boards must certify results, regardless of any election fraud suspicions, spurred sighs of relief from those who feared former President Donald Trump could unjustly claim the state on Nov. 5. Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney was championed Tuesday after he nixed a new rule from pro-Trump election board members that he argued would …

'Big defeat for election deniers': Judge shoots down challenge to Georgia election rules
5 months ago

'Big defeat for election deniers': Judge shoots down challenge to Georgia election rules

Raw Story  

A Georgia court struck down a challenge to Georgia election law that critics warned could cause chaos. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that certification of election results is mandatory under Georgia law, finding that no election board “may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstances," reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If election superintendents …

Georgia judge rules county election officials must certify vote results
5 months ago

Georgia judge rules county election officials must certify vote results

LA Times  

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that “no election superintendent may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.” A Georgia judge has ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law and cannot exclude any group of votes from certification even if they suspect error or fraud. Fulton …

Georgia election: Record number of early votes cast as election gets underway in battleground state
5 months ago

Georgia election: Record number of early votes cast as election gets underway in battleground state

CNN  

CNN — A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state that is grappling with the fallout from Hurricane Helene and controversial election administration changes that have spurred a flurry of lawsuits. “So with the record breaking 1st day of early voting and accepted absentees …

Record Number of Early Votes Cast in Georgia as Election Gets Underway in Battleground State
5 months ago

Record Number of Early Votes Cast in Georgia as Election Gets Underway in Battleground State

CNN  

A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday, with more than 328,000 ballots cast so far. The state is one of the most closely watched in the upcoming election, with former President Donald Trump trying to reclaim it after losing there to President Joe Biden four years ago. Despite the massive turnout, the process appeared …

Georgia judges rebuke GOP-led state election board on certification and hand counts
5 months ago

Georgia judges rebuke GOP-led state election board on certification and hand counts

NPR  

Georgia judges rebuke GOP-led state election board on certification and hand counts toggle caption Mike Stewart/AP ATLANTA — Local election board members in Georgia can't refuse to certify results, and a controversial new rule on the hand-counting of Election Day ballots is barred, according to a series of decisions from two state judges. In the first ruling, on Tuesday, Fulton …

Pro-Trump Georgia election board wants legislature to clear path for mass voter challenges
5 months, 1 week ago

Pro-Trump Georgia election board wants legislature to clear path for mass voter challenges

Raw Story  

Georgia State Election Board officials will seek assistance from the state Legislature to establish clearer guidelines for maintaining accurate voter lists following a tense debate Tuesday over mass voter challenges. State Election Board Executive Director Mike Coan presented findings of an investigation into voter challenges in several metro Atlanta counties, revealing systematic denials, particularly of challenges filed in large batches. …

Georgia group that pushes election misinformation gains influence
5 months, 1 week ago

Georgia group that pushes election misinformation gains influence

CNN  

CNN — New rules in Georgia that some officials fear could inject chaos into November’s election have links to a controversial group that has gained outsized influence in the Peach State. “For many years he was sort of a gadfly that nobody paid attention to, and now he’s the center of attention,” Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for Georgia’s …

After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November
5 months, 1 week ago

After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November

Raw Story  

An investigation into allegations that several county election boards are failing to properly investigate challenges disputing voter eligibility is on the agenda of the controversial Georgia State Election Board on Tuesday. The State Election Board will hold its final scheduled meeting Tuesday ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, where rules adopted by three members loyal to former President Donald …

A handful of rural Georgia counties could exclude enough votes to affect the 2024 race
5 months, 1 week ago

A handful of rural Georgia counties could exclude enough votes to affect the 2024 race

Raw Story  

An examination of a new election rule in Georgia passed by the state’s Republican-controlled election board suggests that local officials in just a handful of rural counties could exclude enough votes to affect the outcome of the presidential race. A lawyer for the Democratic National Committee, Daniel Volchok, warned that board members making “individual determinations about if a ballot is …

Many of the tactics Jack Smith accused Trump of using to overturn the 2020 election are still in play for 2024
5 months, 1 week ago

Many of the tactics Jack Smith accused Trump of using to overturn the 2020 election are still in play for 2024

CNN  

CNN — The roadmap laid out by the Justice Department in court this week for how former President Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election feels eerily familiar to many election officials and voting rights advocates who are gearing up for November. “These are about laying groundwork for challenging results.” A Trump campaign spokesperson pointed to the campaign’s released …

How Trump Is Already Setting The Groundwork To Challenge The 2024 Election Results If He Loses
5 months, 2 weeks ago

How Trump Is Already Setting The Groundwork To Challenge The 2024 Election Results If He Loses

Huff Post  

With a month and change to go before the election, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his allies are already laying the groundwork to contest the results of the 2024 election if he loses by engaging in a false campaign around the threat of noncitizen voting. Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images In the absence of any actual evidence of …

A ‘Recipe for Chaos’ in Georgia: Judge Weighs DNC's Push To Stop New Election Rules
5 months, 2 weeks ago

A ‘Recipe for Chaos’ in Georgia: Judge Weighs DNC's Push To Stop New Election Rules

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A Georgia judge overseeing Democrats’ challenges to new election rules created by the state’s Republican-majority election board seemed less than enthused about the idea of tossing out those rules on Tuesday, even as Democratic lawyers argue they could cause chaos in November. The rules, implemented in August, gave county election officials in Georgia permission to launch vaguely-defined …

Democrats aim to show a judge how pro-Trump Georgia election board could spark certification ‘chaos’
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Democrats aim to show a judge how pro-Trump Georgia election board could spark certification ‘chaos’

CNN  

CNN — Four years after certification of the presidential election led to rioting at the US Capitol, fights over the once pro forma process are becoming more frequent and widespread as Republicans in battleground states that could be decided by only thousands of votes try to challenge the process. In Georgia, for instance, Trump-backed members of the state election board …

Dems to challenge Georgia election board’s rule to require ballot hand count
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Dems to challenge Georgia election board’s rule to require ballot hand count

Raw Story  

National and state Democrats plan to file a lawsuit on behalf of local election officials challenging a controversial new rule requiring election workers to hand count ballots on election day. The Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Georgia, with support from the Harris campaign, will challenge a rule passed this month that was pushed through by three state …

"Unlawful": Experts say Trump-backed Georgia election board rules threaten to "disrupt" count
5 months, 2 weeks ago

"Unlawful": Experts say Trump-backed Georgia election board rules threaten to "disrupt" count

Salon  

The Georgia Election Board's approval of another new rule fewer than 45 days before the general election ignited concerns over its potential to disrupt the state's election administration and certification in November. Though Georgia's new rule only requires poll workers to count the number ballots as opposed to every vote on the ballot, county election officials worry it could stall …

Georgia’s Election Is Headed for Potential Disaster. Thank the Supreme Court.
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia’s Election Is Headed for Potential Disaster. Thank the Supreme Court.

Slate  

Since late July, a partisan majority on the Georgia State Board of Elections has enacted a series of last-minute changes to the state’s election procedures, including changes that could threaten the ability of people of color in Georgia to vote and have their votes counted equally. While we expect the courts to block the Georgia board’s most egregious attacks on …

GA election board probes handling of mass voter challenges in eight Democrat-led counties
5 months, 3 weeks ago

GA election board probes handling of mass voter challenges in eight Democrat-led counties

Raw Story  

The Georgia State Election Board voted Monday to investigate claims that several county election boards are failing to properly investigate challenges disputing voter eligibility. Three State Election Board members loyal to former President Donald Trump agreed to request that the board’s executive director look into whether eight election boards in counties led by Democrats are improperly dismissing complaints questioning if …

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin

Associated Press  

In Georgia, election workers will have to hand count the number of ballots cast after voting is completed. Across the country, including in some of the nation’s presidential swing states, new or recently altered state laws are changing how Americans will vote, tally ballots, and administer and certify November’s election. After the July primary, Maricopa County Elections spokesperson Jennifer Liewer …

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states

CNN  

CNN — In Pennsylvania, officials are bracing for another presidential election in which the state could once again be the decisive battleground and take days to determine the winner. In Georgia, election officials can begin processing absentee ballots ahead of Election Day and a new law since the 2020 presidential election requires counties to report to the secretary of state …

Georgia’s GOP-led elections board OKs controversial voting change that local officials warned against
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia’s GOP-led elections board OKs controversial voting change that local officials warned against

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “This board needs to take seriously the guidance that we’ve received from the attorney …

A Last-Minute Effort to Mess With the 2024 Vote Is Underway. It’s Scarier Than Expected.
55 years, 2 months ago

A Last-Minute Effort to Mess With the 2024 Vote Is Underway. It’s Scarier Than Expected.

Slate  

With early voting already underway, one might think that the rules of the game for November’s election are set, and that it will all just come down to turnout, as the cliché goes. There, the state election board, which is dominated by Trumpian election-deniers, has enacted a series of last-minute rule changes that could muck up the timing of ballot …

'Off the deep end': MAGA-controlled election board ruling stuns lawmakers and experts
5 months, 3 weeks ago

'Off the deep end': MAGA-controlled election board ruling stuns lawmakers and experts

Raw Story  

A MAGA-controlled board's new mandate that Georgia ballots be hand-counted stunned journalists, lawmakers, legal experts and Americans who fear "chaos" and a "legal coup" just 46 days before the presidential election. While MSNBC host Chris Hayes condemned the decision as "crazy on the merits" and "transparently an attempt at sabotage," Former Fox News producer and conservative influencer Kyle Becker called …

Pro-Trump Georgia Election Board Makes Last-Minute Change
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Pro-Trump Georgia Election Board Makes Last-Minute Change

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A 3-2 Republican majority on Georgia’s State Election Board voted Friday to require local election offices to hand count the state’s millions of ballots, inviting chaos as experts warned the task would prove impossible in the state’s largest counties, which lean Democratic. The rule passed Friday in Georgia states that “the process must be completed within the …

Georgia election officials warn of chaos as Trump allies push changes ahead of November
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia election officials warn of chaos as Trump allies push changes ahead of November

Raw Story  

The Georgia State Election Board is set to vote Friday on several election rules that have raised red flags among voting rights organizations, Democrats and county election officials in advance of the November general election. The Democratic Party of Georgia, the left-leaning voting rights group Fair Fight Action, and nonpartisan election officials are expressing concerns that several rules on Friday’s …

Georgia election board requires ballots be hand-counted despite warning from key GOP state officials
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia election board requires ballots be hand-counted despite warning from key GOP state officials

CNN  

CNN — Allies of former President Donald Trump who control the Georgia State Election Board approved a controversial new rule Friday requiring counties to hand-count the number of ballots cast at polling places on Election Day, despite bipartisan objections from election officials and poll workers. These conclusions echo concerns raised by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has previously …

Georgia State Election Board majority, praised by Trump, approves rule requiring hand count of ballots
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia State Election Board majority, praised by Trump, approves rule requiring hand count of ballots

LA Times  

Georgia’s State Election Board on Friday voted to approve a new rule that requires poll workers to count the number of paper ballots by hand after voting is completed, a change that critics worry could delay the reporting of election night results. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger last month called the hand-counting rule “misguided,” saying it would delay the …

Georgia Republicans are pushing election-law changes that could undermine the 2024 vote, critics say
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia Republicans are pushing election-law changes that could undermine the 2024 vote, critics say

Salon  

Georgia’s GOP-controlled State Election Board is teeing up votes on nearly a dozen election rule changes on Friday, worrying officials who say that the proposals and their timing would disrupt an election process due to start in a matter of weeks — and open the door for board members to block certification of results at will, NPR reported. Some of …

Experts warn vote tally certification refusals could undermine 2024 election
6 months ago

Experts warn vote tally certification refusals could undermine 2024 election

Raw Story  

Two months ahead of the November presidential election, Colorado officials are warning that refusal by local election canvass board members to certify results fuels misinformation and threatens voter trust in the entire election process. CREW identified 35 election officials who voted against certifying results between 2020 and 2023, including three in Colorado: Nancy Pallozzi in Jefferson County, Candice Stutzriem in …

Election in Georgia’s Fulton County to be observed by independent monitor
6 months, 1 week ago

Election in Georgia’s Fulton County to be observed by independent monitor

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. After a particularly disastrous primary election in 2020, an independent monitor was brought in to examine the county’s election practices during the general election as part of an agreement with the State Election Board. Fulton County’s elections have been closely watched since then, and the State Election Board voted last …

New rules from GOP-majority election board could cause disarray in battleground Georgia
6 months, 1 week ago

New rules from GOP-majority election board could cause disarray in battleground Georgia

CNN  

Atlanta CNN — The once-wonky Georgia State Election Board has burst into the limelight this year as a new Republican majority – made up of a retired obstetrician, a former state senator who put out feelers for a Trump administration job and a right-wing media personality – push ahead with new rules that could create chaos in November. But she …

How Georgia’s pro-Trump election board could help him steal an election
6 months, 2 weeks ago

How Georgia’s pro-Trump election board could help him steal an election

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At …

Democrats sue to block Georgia rules that they warn will block finalization of election results
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Democrats sue to block Georgia rules that they warn will block finalization of election results

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The state and national Democratic parties sued Monday to block two recent rules adopted by Georgia’s State Election Board that could be used by county officials who want to refuse to certify an election, potentially causing delays in finalizing the state’s results. Pro-Trump Republicans argue the rules just reinforce a county election board’s existing duty to thoroughly examine …

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