The Georgia state election board is scheduled to convene on Friday to evaluate a new set of last-minute election modifications that may result in delays and confusion following election day in this pivotal battleground state.
The board, with a Republican majority, is anticipated to endorse a regulation mandating that three individuals in each precinct manually verify machine-vote tallies through hand-counting of the election outcomes. Voting specialists have consistently indicated that manual counts are resource-intensive, expensive, and exhibit lower reliability compared to automated systems. This process has gained support from conservative activists who express scepticism regarding the outcomes of the 2020 election.
The board is set to evaluate proposed regulations that would necessitate daily hand-counts of early votes, mandate public disclosures of voters who have participated in early voting, enhance access for poll-watchers during the tabulation process, differentiate between emergency and mail-in ballots, and implement a tracking system for ballots sent through the mail.
The five-member board has remained relatively unnoticed until now, as a newly formed three-member Republican faction has started to implement a series of rule modifications that raise concerns about potential delays in the certification process this autumn. Recently, the situation has faced significant examination due to the implementation of new regulations permitting local election board members to conduct an unspecified “reasonable inquiry” prior to certifying an election, along with granting them the authority to access an extensive range of documents.
The board implemented a regulation mandating a detailed explanation for any discrepancies observed between the total ballots cast and the number of voters recorded as checked in at a precinct. Election officials have indicated that such mismatches are common and typically arise from innocuous reasons, such as a voter opting not to submit a ballot after arriving at the polling location.
Donald Trump has acknowledged the three individuals responsible for implementing these regulations, referring to them as “pitbulls advocating for honesty, transparency, and success.” Janice Johnston, the highest-ranking member of the bloc, participated in the rally and acknowledged the crowd with a wave.
Election officials across the state, along with certain board members, have advocated for the suspension of rule changes regarding elections in proximity to the voting period. They caution that such alterations could exacerbate the challenges faced by already under-resourced election offices and lead to potential confusion among voters.
“The primary issue at hand is the timing of these regulations,” stated Travis Doss, executive director of the Richmond County Board of Elections in Augusta and president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, which has formally requested the board to suspend any changes prior to the election.
Mail-in ballots are scheduled for distribution starting 7 October, with early voting commencing on 15 October. Ballots for military and overseas voters will be dispatched on September 21.
Brad Raffensperger, the Republican secretary of state in Georgia, has expressed disapproval of the alterations, particularly after lawmakers removed his position from the state board following the 2020 election.
“The election timeline has progressed to a point where it is impractical for counties to introduce new regulations and procedures, as a significant number of poll workers have already finalised their necessary training,” his office stated in a letter to the board acquired by the New York Times earlier this week.
“Should the board determine that modifications to the rules are critical for an election, it is imperative that the process commences significantly earlier to facilitate seamless execution and training, while also incorporating feedback from election officials.”