Georgia PSC elections again delayed after high court ruling
2 years, 4 months ago

Georgia PSC elections again delayed after high court ruling

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Two Georgia Public Service Commission elections will not occur this November, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday, reversing an earlier appeals court ruling that allowed them to proceed. The Supreme Court decision came hours after a state court judge in a separate case overturned a residency challenge to Durand and allowed her to stay on the ballot, ruling that new districts drawn earlier this year violated Durand’s rights. Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong to block Grimberg’s order by citing an earlier Supreme Court decision saying judges shouldn’t order changes close to elections. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge ruled Thursday that Durand should stay on the ballot despite Raffensperger trying to kick her off for not meeting her district’s one-year residency requirement.

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History of this topic

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

Georgia Supreme Court Order Risks Disenfranchising Cobb County Voters
Trending News
1 month, 2 weeks 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 …

GA Supreme Court delays ruling on controversial board rules until after election
2 months 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 GA rules still in play with Harris-Trump election showdown now fast and furious
2 months 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 …

'Big defeat for election deniers': Judge shoots down challenge to Georgia election rules
2 months, 1 week 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 says county election officials cannot delay or decline certification of election results
2 months, 1 week 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 …

Georgia judge rules county election officials must certify vote results
2 months, 1 week 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 …

A handful of rural Georgia counties could exclude enough votes to affect the 2024 race
2 months, 2 weeks 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 …

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

Pro-Trump Georgia Election Board Makes Last-Minute Change
3 months 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 …

Democrats sue to block Georgia rules that they warn will block finalization of election results
3 months, 4 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 …

Revealed: Election deniers secretly pushed rule to delay certification
4 months ago

Revealed: Election deniers secretly pushed rule to delay certification

Raw Story  

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. The State Election Board’s Monday meeting comes on the heels of a vote less than two weeks before that empowered county election board members to conduct “reasonable inquiry” into allegations of voting irregularities. “The whole rule is to safeguard everybody’s vote,” she said, and to make sure that “nobody’s vote gets watered down …

Georgia officials push through right-wing Republican election rules
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Georgia officials push through right-wing Republican election rules

Raw Story  

The Georgia State Election Board pushed through proposed right-wing Republican election rules Tuesday that have sparked fierce debates over giving county officials greater authority to refuse to certify voter tallies. That included the significant rule adopted Tuesday that allows local election boards members to exercise their discretion of “reasonable inquiry” to review documents and other election-related information prior to voting …

Georgia election board rolls back some actions after a lawsuit claimed its meeting was illegal
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Georgia election board rolls back some actions after a lawsuit claimed its meeting was illegal

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The Georgia State Election Board, which has become embroiled in conflict over how the state administers elections, voted Tuesday to redo some of its actions amid a lawsuit accusing it of meeting illegally. The board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to debate again on Aug. 6 a pair of proposed rules sought by Republicans that three members advanced on …

Election board member in Georgia’s Fulton County abstains from certifying primary election
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Election board member in Georgia’s Fulton County abstains from certifying primary election

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The election board in Georgia’s largest county voted on Tuesday to certify its May 21 election results, but not before one of the board’s Republican-appointed members abstained. The abstention by Fulton County election board member Julie Adams aligns with her lawsuit seeking to more closely control election operations and to win a legal ruling finding county election boards …

A new election law battle is brewing in Georgia, this time over voter challenges
8 months, 3 weeks ago

A new election law battle is brewing in Georgia, this time over voter challenges

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia has been rocked by furious battles over election laws ever since Democrat Stacey Abrams’ narrow loss to Republican Brian Kemp in the 2018 governor’s race. “These are voters who moved some months or years before voting at their old address, went back and showed a driver’s license they knew they had not updated, claimed to still live …

Group will appeal court ruling that Georgia voter challenges don’t violate federal law
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Group will appeal court ruling that Georgia voter challenges don’t violate federal law

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A group trying to stop voter challenges in Georgia says it will appeal a trial court ruling that such challenges don’t violate federal voting rights law. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled last month that Texas-based nonprofit True the Vote did not violate the Voting Rights Act when it announced it was challenging the eligibility of more than …

Appeals court says Georgia may elect utility panel statewide, rejecting a ruling for district voting
1 year, 1 month ago

Appeals court says Georgia may elect utility panel statewide, rejecting a ruling for district voting

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Georgia can keep statewide elections for its five-member commission regulating utilities, overturning a lower court judge who found statewide elections illegally diluted Black votes. The ruling is important beyond Georgia’s Public Service Commission because it could help protect certain statewide elections in other states subject to scrutiny for racial discrimination …

Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s redistricting decision but won’t seek to pause ruling for now
1 year, 1 month ago

Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s redistricting decision but won’t seek to pause ruling for now

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s order to redraw some congressional and state legislative districts, but that it won’t fight in court to pause the order for now, meaning a special session later this month to draw new lines is likely to proceed. A federal judge ruled last week that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and …

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn
1 year, 1 month ago

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge ruled Thursday that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, in a 516-page order, also ordered the state to draw two new Black-majority districts in Georgia’s 56-member state Senate and …

Legitimacy of mass voter challenge on trial in political battleground Georgia
1 year, 1 month ago

Legitimacy of mass voter challenge on trial in political battleground Georgia

Associated Press  

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A former Georgia voter testified Thursday that he felt “overwhelmed” and “discouraged” when he learned that his eligibility to cast a ballot in the state had been challenged ahead of a critical election for two U.S. Senate seats. Scott Berson took the stand in federal court in Gainesville at the start of a trial to determine whether …

A judge has declined to block parts of Georgia’s election law while legal challenges play out
1 year, 2 months ago

A judge has declined to block parts of Georgia’s election law while legal challenges play out

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge in Georgia has declined to block several provisions of a sweeping election law while legal challenges play out. Several voting advocacy and civil rights groups, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, sued in 2021 after Republican state lawmakers passed the measure less than six months after former President Donald Trump narrowly lost the …

A Supreme Court redistricting ruling gave hope to Black voters. They’re still waiting for new maps
1 year, 3 months ago

A Supreme Court redistricting ruling gave hope to Black voters. They’re still waiting for new maps

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s decision siding with Black voters in an Alabama redistricting case gave Democrats and voting rights activists a surprising opportunity before the 2024 elections. Shawn Donahue of the State University of New York at Buffalo, an expert on voting rights and redistricting, said the Supreme Court could put a quick end to the delays and “summarily …

Balance of power at stake as judge sets pre-Thanksgiving timeline for Georgia redistricting ruling
1 year, 3 months ago

Balance of power at stake as judge sets pre-Thanksgiving timeline for Georgia redistricting ruling

Raw Story  

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. And now the question of whether Georgia’s GOP-drawn political maps illegally dilute Black voting strength is in the hands of federal Judge Steve Jones, who told both sides …

A judge must now decide if Georgia voting districts are racially discriminatory after a trial ended
1 year, 3 months ago

A judge must now decide if Georgia voting districts are racially discriminatory after a trial ended

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A trial challenging voting district maps in Georgia concluded Thursday with the state arguing that court intervention on behalf of Black voters isn’t needed, while the plaintiffs argued that Black voters are still fighting opposition from white voters and need federal help to get a fair shot. If U.S. District Judge Steve Jones rules for the challengers, one …

A Georgia redistricting trial begins with a clash over what federal law requires for Black voters
1 year, 3 months ago

A Georgia redistricting trial begins with a clash over what federal law requires for Black voters

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Challengers to Georgia’s voting district maps told a federal judge Tuesday that the state is legally required to provide more political opportunities to Black voters, while the state suggested plaintiffs are trying to impose illegal racial gerrymanders of congressional and legislative districts. “Black voters were shut out of new political opportunities, even though new Black-majority districts could have …

A Georgia trial arguing redistricting harmed Black voters could decide control of a US House seat
1 year, 3 months ago

A Georgia trial arguing redistricting harmed Black voters could decide control of a US House seat

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Democrats could gain a seat in the U.S. House and multiple seats in Georgia’s Legislature if a judge rules Republicans drew maps illegally weakening Black voters’ power. Court cases challenging district lines drawn after the 2020 Census could shape 2024 congressional elections in states beyond Alabama and Georgia, including Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. “Despite these striking …

Judge refuses to toss discrimination lawsuits over Georgia voting districts
1 year, 5 months ago

Judge refuses to toss discrimination lawsuits over Georgia voting districts

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge has refused to dismiss lawsuits alleging Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts illegally discriminate against Black voters. The orders apply to three cases, one challenging the lines of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts and two challenging the lines of the 56 state Senate and 180 state House districts. In the state legislative cases, the challengers argue a map …

Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024
1 year, 5 months ago

Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday lifted its hold on a Louisiana political remap case, increasing the likelihood that the Republican-dominated state will have to redraw boundary lines to create a second mostly Black congressional district. “What this does is it puts us back on track to realize a second majority-minority district.” In a written statement, the Louisiana Legislative …

Supreme Court voting rights ruling stuns minority voters, who hope it expands their representation
1 year, 6 months ago

Supreme Court voting rights ruling stuns minority voters, who hope it expands their representation

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — This week’s Supreme Court decision ordering Alabama to redraw its congressional districts was seen by many minority lawmakers and voting rights activists as a stunning victory with the potential to become a major stepping stone for undoing political maps that dilute the strength of communities of color. “As I said when I vetoed it, Louisiana’s current congressional map …

Georgia high court allows Saturday voting for Senate runoff
2 years, 1 month ago

Georgia high court allows Saturday voting for Senate runoff

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia counties will be allowed to hold early voting this Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, under a Wednesday ruling from the state Supreme Court. Early in-person voting ends on Dec. 2, the Friday before Election Day, which means that Nov. 26 would be the only possible …

Georgia high court allows Saturday voting for Senate runoff
2 years, 1 month ago

Georgia high court allows Saturday voting for Senate runoff

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. Read our privacy policy Georgia counties will be allowed to hold early voting this …

Georgia court declines to halt Saturday early runoff voting
2 years, 1 month ago

Georgia court declines to halt Saturday early runoff voting

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A Georgia appeals court ruling on Monday means that counties can offer early voting this coming Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. The Court of Appeals declined a request by the state to stay a lower court’s ruling that said state law allows early voting that day. Republican …

Judge says Georgia law allows Saturday voting for runoff
2 years, 1 month ago

Judge says Georgia law allows Saturday voting for runoff

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge on Friday said Georgia law allows counties to offer early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is the only possibility for Saturday voting before next month’s Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox on Friday issued an order saying Georgia law “does not …

Judge rules against Abrams group in voting rights lawsuit
2 years, 2 months ago

Judge rules against Abrams group in voting rights lawsuit

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge on Friday found that Georgia election practices challenged by a group associated with Democrat Stacey Abrams do not violate the constitutional rights of voters, ruling in favor of the state on all remaining issues in a lawsuit filed nearly four years ago. “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the …

Appeals court puts Georgia PSC elections back on ballot
2 years, 4 months ago

Appeals court puts Georgia PSC elections back on ballot

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal appeals court on Friday ordered that statewide elections for two Georgia public service commissioners be put back on the November ballot, only a week after a federal judge postponed the elections after finding that electing the five commissioners statewide illegally diluted Black votes. Circuit Judges Robert Luck and Adalberto Jordan found that U.S. District Judge Steven …

Georgia asks appeals court to return PSC elections to ballot
2 years, 4 months ago

Georgia asks appeals court to return PSC elections to ballot

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia is asking a federal appeals court to put elections for public service commissioners back on the November ballot, a week after a federal judge found that the statewide election of the five commissioners illegally diluted Black votes. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow elections for two commissioners to go forward after U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg ordered …

Judge rules Georgia must end statewide PSC elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Judge rules Georgia must end statewide PSC elections

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge ruled Friday that Georgia’s statewide election of its five public service commissioners illegally dilutes Black voting power, ordering the state to not prepare ballots for two races that had been scheduled in November. Nico Martinez, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, called it “one of the most important decisions to advance voting rights in a generation.” …

Justices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022
2 years, 5 months ago

Justices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022

Associated Press  

BATON ROUGE — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. With the three liberal justices dissenting, the high court short-circuited the earlier order from U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick to create a second majority Black congressional district in …

Judge keeps Democrat running for Georgia regulator on ballot
2 years, 7 months ago

Judge keeps Democrat running for Georgia regulator on ballot

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A Democrat running for the Georgia Public Service Commission stayed on the ballot Tuesday after a judge blocked a Monday decision by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to disqualify her over residency issues. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge on Tuesday ordered Raffensperger’s office to put Durand back on the ballot and count her votes, pending a …

Georgia voters appeal decision on Rep. Greene’s eligibility
2 years, 7 months ago

Georgia voters appeal decision on Rep. Greene’s eligibility

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A group of voters who challenged U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene’s eligibility to run for reelection said Monday they have filed an appeal of the Georgia secretary of state’s decision that she can appear on the ballot. Georgia Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot last month held a daylong hearing that included arguments from lawyers for the voters and …

An appeals court reinstates portions of Florida's new election law
2 years, 7 months ago

An appeals court reinstates portions of Florida's new election law

NPR  

An appeals court reinstates portions of Florida's new election law TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal appeals court granted Florida's request to reinstate portions of the state's election law on Friday while it appeals a lower court's decision that the law was aimed at suppressing Black voters. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said that Judge Mark Walker's March ruling that …

Judge: Georgia voters can challenge Greene’s reelection run
2 years, 8 months ago

Judge: Georgia voters can challenge Greene’s reelection run

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge on Monday ruled that a group of Georgia voters can proceed with legal efforts seeking to disqualify U.S Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection to Congress, citing her role in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. The challenge filed last month with the Georgia secretary of state’s office alleges that Greene, a …

In win for GOP, Supreme Court blocks new Black-majority district in Alabama
2 years, 10 months ago

In win for GOP, Supreme Court blocks new Black-majority district in Alabama

LA Times  

In its first decision on this decade’s congressional redistricting, the Supreme Court on Monday sided with Alabama’s Republicans and blocked the creation of a new Black-majority district in the state. By a 5-4 vote, the justices set aside for now a ruling by a panel of three judges, two of whom were President Trump appointees, who said the state Republican-controlled …

New lawsuit challenges 3 Georgia congressional district maps
2 years, 11 months ago

New lawsuit challenges 3 Georgia congressional district maps

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Voting rights groups and individual voters on Friday filed a federal lawsuit that says the new map for three Georgia congressional districts violate the Constitution and weaken the power of voters of color. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of Georgia and individual voters. The lawsuit …

Justice Department suing Georgia over state’s new voting law
3 years, 5 months ago

Justice Department suing Georgia over state’s new voting law

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is suing Georgia over the state’s new election law, alleging Republican state lawmakers rushed through a sweeping overhaul with an intent to deny Black voters equal access to the ballot. The Biden administration’s move comes two weeks after Garland said his department would scrutinize new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules. NAACP President …

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters
3 years, 6 months ago

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters

NPR  

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that the U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of Georgia over its new voting law, saying that the controversial measure is intended to restrict ballot …

US Justice Dept sues Georgia over restrictive state voting law
3 years, 6 months ago

US Justice Dept sues Georgia over restrictive state voting law

Al Jazeera  

Republicans in Arizona, Florida and Iowa have also adopted new voting restrictions; Pennsylvania and Texas may follow. The United States Justice Department is filing a lawsuit challenging a new restrictive election law in the US state of Georgia on civil rights grounds, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday. The US lawsuit against Georgia is being handled by the Justice …

Justice Department will challenge Georgia’s restrictive new voting law
3 years, 6 months ago

Justice Department will challenge Georgia’s restrictive new voting law

LA Times  

Gen. Merrick Garland, pictured here in April, announced Friday that the Justice Department will sue Georgia to challenge its restrictive new voting law, which he says discriminates against Black voters. In what is expected to be the first salvo in the federal government’s legal assault on a slew of state efforts that restrict voting access, the Justice Department filed a …

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