Publicly available court rulings and announcements by the Georgia State Election Board

Georgia Election Board Approves Controversial Hand-Counting Rule in 3-2 Vote for November

Sep 20, 2024, 05:07 PM

The Georgia State Election Board has approved a new rule requiring counties to hand-count all ballots in the upcoming November election. The decision, passed by a 3-2 vote, mandates that election workers hand-count ballots on election night, which could significantly delay the reporting of results by weeks if not months. Critics argue that the new rule, implemented by a pro-Trump majority on the board, could cause chaos and increase the likelihood of errors. Additionally, the Georgia Attorney General's office has warned that the last-minute rule changes, including resolution 181-1-12-.12, may be illegal and exceed the board's authority. This controversial move has sparked concerns from both Democratic and Republican officials, and legal challenges are expected. The rule was passed just three weeks before early voting begins, adding to the controversy.