Appeals court says Georgia may elect utility panel statewide, rejecting a ruling for district voting
1 year 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 under the Voting Rights Act. “Plaintiffs’ novel proposal is that we dismantle Georgia’s statewide PSC system and replace it with an entirely new districted system,” the court wrote. “But we have never gone this far.” The panel also cited earlier cases that upheld at-large elections for judges, saying a district system could lead commissioners to favor their own districts over statewide concerns.

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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 …

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 …

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 …

Georgia election: Record number of early votes cast as election gets underway in battleground state
2 months, 1 week 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
2 months, 1 week 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 …

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 …

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

GA board's pro-Trump wing gives local officials the power to delay election certification
4 months ago

GA board's pro-Trump wing gives local officials the power to delay election certification

Raw Story  

The Georgia State Election Board Monday finalized a rule Monday that gives local officials more power to dispute certifying election results by adopting a new ballot counting policy that critics contend could disrupt the presidential election in November. Critics claim that Republican state election board members are making it easier to contest Georgia’s election results if Trump once again fails …

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 says counties can do more to investigate election results
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Georgia election board says counties can do more to investigate election results

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s State Election Board voted Tuesday to require county election officials to make a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results to the state, signaling that fights about approving election results could intensify this November in the South’s premier battleground state. “Why one would not want to assume there is some oversight?” asked State Election Board member Janice Johnston, …

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 …

Georgia bill would give utility regulators extra years in office without facing voters
9 months ago

Georgia bill would give utility regulators extra years in office without facing voters

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s Public Service Commission is an elected body that’s gone years without having elections because of a redistricting lawsuit. But Brionte McCorkle, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said it’s bitterly ironic that commissioners currently face no elections at all and may get extra years in office. “Georgia will reset the election cycle to ensure that the …

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 …

Georgia senators vote for board to oversee secretary of state despite constitutional questions
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Georgia senators vote for board to oversee secretary of state despite constitutional questions

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s Senate is backing a plan to give the state’s appointed election board the power to investigate Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s handling of elections, despite the measure’s sponsor saying that the bill is in “murky water” when it comes to its constitutionality. But Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. Max Burns disagreed, saying Friday that the measure only …

Federal judge accepts redrawn Georgia congressional and legislative districts that will favor GOP
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Federal judge accepts redrawn Georgia congressional and legislative districts that will favor GOP

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge on Thursday accepted new Georgia congressional and legislative voting districts that protect Republican partisan advantages, saying the creation of new majority-Black voting districts solved the illegal minority vote dilution that led him to order maps to be redrawn. McBath said in a statement that she wouldn’t “allow an extremist few Republicans” to “decide when my …

Georgia Republicans move to cut losses as they propose majority-Black districts in special session
1 year ago

Georgia Republicans move to cut losses as they propose majority-Black districts in special session

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers opened a special session Wednesday as majority Republicans moved to minimize their losses while also trying to increase the number of Black-majority districts to comply with a federal court order. Georgia House Republicans on Tuesday released a map that would likely cost them only two seats from their current 102-78 majority while creating five more majority-Black …

Georgia Senate Republicans propose map with 2 new Black-majority districts
1 year ago

Georgia Senate Republicans propose map with 2 new Black-majority districts

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia Senate Republicans are proposing a new map that would create two Black-majority voting districts, but would probably retain Republicans’ 33-23 edge in the General Assembly’s upper chamber, in an effort to fix a map a judge said illegally dilutes Black votes. A special session on redrawing state legislative and congressional districts is scheduled to begin Wednesday after …

Georgia Supreme Court ruling prevents GOP-backed commission from beginning to discipline prosecutors
1 year, 1 month ago

Georgia Supreme Court ruling prevents GOP-backed commission from beginning to discipline prosecutors

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s state Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to approve rules for a new commission to discipline and remove state prosecutors, meaning the commission can’t begin operating. “But if district attorneys exercise only executive power, our regulation of the exercise of that power would likely be beyond the scope of our judicial power.” State Rep. Houston Gaines, an Athens …

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism
1 year, 1 month ago

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Some Republican lawmakers continued to press Wednesday for changes to protect Georgia’s voting system from security weaknesses, but a deputy to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused them of acting in bad faith and promoting lies that Georgia’s 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency last year published an advisory based …

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 …

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 …

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 …

County leaders in Georgia reject election board nominee who challenged voters’ eligibility
1 year, 6 months ago

County leaders in Georgia reject election board nominee who challenged voters’ eligibility

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Elected leaders in Georgia’s most populous county — a Democratic stronghold — on Wednesday rejected a Republican nominee for the county elections board who had challenged the eligibility of thousands of voters. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to reject Jason Frazier, one of two nominees put forth by the county Republican Party for a seat …

Effect of Georgia’s voting law unclear, despite high turnout
2 years ago

Effect of Georgia’s voting law unclear, despite high turnout

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Georgia’s 2022 election season ended dramatically this past week, but that was because of the closely watched Senate runoff that solidified Democratic control of the chamber and not for any large-scale problems with voting. “Georgia’s election system has been challenged and scrutinized and criticized and passed every test,” Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement …

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 …

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 …

Judge declines to block ban on giving food, water to voters
2 years, 4 months ago

Judge declines to block ban on giving food, water to voters

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge has declined to block a section of a Georgia election law that bans handing out food and water to voters waiting in line. U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee said the voting rights groups may ultimately prevail on part of their challenge, but he agreed with the state that it’s too close to the election to block …

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.” …

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 …

Georgia GOP lawmakers draw districts in Democratic counties
2 years, 10 months ago

Georgia GOP lawmakers draw districts in Democratic counties

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Republican state lawmakers in Georgia are reaching down to redraw election districts for county officials in Democratic controlled counties, a power grab possible in part because there’s no federal oversight of redistricting in Georgia for the first time in decades. “It’s a petite coup of our local government,” said Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link, who could be drawn …

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 …

Judge dismisses Fulton County ballot review case in Georgia
3 years, 2 months ago

Judge dismisses Fulton County ballot review case in Georgia

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit alleging fraud in Georgia’s most populous county during the 2020 election. Henry County Superior Court Chief Judge Brian Amero’s order dismissing the case says the voters who brought the lawsuit “failed to allege a particularized injury” and therefore lacked the standing to claim that their state constitutional rights to equal protection …

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