Why Georgia’s new election rules have local officials worried

May Be Interested In:Democrats learned the wrong lessons from the last midterms: From the Politics Desk


A fight over election rule changes is playing out in states from North Carolina to Wisconsin to Arizona that could foreshadow an even messier postelection legal brawl.

Former President Donald Trump continues to insist the 2020 election was stolen from him, and he has repeatedly claimed, with no evidence, that Democrats are gearing up to do it again. Republicans have been heavily investing in “election integrity” efforts that they say are aimed at preventing voter fraud. Democrats say those efforts are disenfranchising left-leaning voters, and laying the groundwork to overturn results if things don’t go Mr. Trump’s way.

Why We Wrote This

America has seen how a big nationwide election can come down to relatively few votes in key states. Georgia is ground zero for concerns that partisan officials are making the vote count less trustworthy.

Georgia is the epicenter of this fight. Trump allies on the state’s election board have pushed through a number of last-minute measures – such as requiring a hand count of ballots – that Democrats and some Republicans say could throw the whole election process into chaos. Even if judges ultimately toss out the new rules, the controversy could give Mr. Trump grist to claim the system was rigged against him.

Local election workers here are training and preparing for Nov. 5 – with the risk of delays and controversies on the line.

With Election Day looming, three dozen poll workers are gathered in a conference room at the Rockdale County Board of Elections for a crash course in voting rules and procedures. But before they can get to the normal training for running elections in this majority-Black, middle-class community in suburban Atlanta, there’s a new hurdle to sort out.

“How many of you have already heard on the news talking about the hand count of ballots?” asks Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham. 

Every hand shoots up. 

Why We Wrote This

America has seen how a big nationwide election can come down to relatively few votes in key states. Georgia is ground zero for concerns that partisan officials are making the vote count less trustworthy.

“That’s another task for us to do on Election Day. And we’ve heard where people say it’s going to delay the count and so forth,” she says. “So I have come up with a procedure that I hope will work well, where it still will get you all out of the precinct on time.”

Ms. Willingham, who has been supervising elections in the state for 35 years, had spent the previous day racing to create a mock-up tally form so her workers could learn how to comply with a last-minute rule imposed by the Georgia State Election Board requiring that all ballots cast on Election Day be counted by hand. That means after typically working a 14-hour shift running the polls, these workers, most of whom are senior citizens, will begin the laborious task of individually tallying ballots to try to make sure the total matches the machine count for their precinct. Experts say the process could introduce human error and significantly delay the reporting of results.

It’s one of a number of highly controversial changes recently implemented by the Georgia State Election Board after hard-right activists gained a voting majority in May. Other new rules give local election officials wide leeway to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into any perceived problems with the voting process, and potentially to toss out votes. Georgia’s Republican attorney general and secretary of state have both warned that the new rules may violate state law. Voting rights groups and Democrats have brought lawsuits to try to block their implementation, several of which are being heard in court this week.

Cameron Joseph/The Christian Science Monitor

Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham shows an absentee ballot drop box, as Georgia prepares to vote.

The maneuvering in Georgia is part of a broader fight that’s playing out in key swing states from North Carolina to Wisconsin to Arizona and could foreshadow an even messier post-election legal brawl – especially if the election results are as close as polls suggest. Former President Donald Trump continues to insist the 2020 election was stolen from him, and he has repeatedly claimed, with no evidence, that Democrats are gearing up to do it again. Republicans have been heavily investing in “election integrity” efforts across the country that they say are aimed at preventing voter fraud. Democrats say those efforts are really aimed at disenfranchising left-leaning voters, sowing uncertainty, and laying the groundwork to try to overturn election results if things don’t go Mr. Trump’s way in November.

share Share facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

Police hunt 40 monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility
Police hunt 40 monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility
Trump team fully embraces RFK Jr.'s vaccine skepticism
Trump team fully embraces RFK Jr.’s vaccine skepticism
Guardians stun Yankees on walk-off home run in extra innings
Guardians stun Yankees on walk-off home run in extra innings
Historic Biltmore Estate shutters after floods from Hurricane Helene ravage Asheville
One year from Oct. 7, fears of ‘no endgame’; Milton heads toward Florida: Weekend Rundown
Years after Breonna Taylor’s death, jury finds Kentucky cop guilty of excessive force
Years after Breonna Taylor’s death, jury finds Kentucky cop guilty of excessive force
Over 18,000 children were abducted. Now, 100 years later, the U.S. is apologizing.
Over 18,000 children were abducted. Now, 100 years later, the U.S. is apologizing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsflash: Events That Shape the Future | © 2024 | Daily News