Fulton County, Georgia Georgia sued the State Board of Elections this week in what was the latest development in an ongoing battle between the two agencies over how to monitor and ensure the integrity of the November elections.
The county board filed the lawsuit Monday, the Associated Press reported, asking a judge to declare that the state board does not have the authority to force it to “accept and pay for Fulton County, which was turned over to monitors additional for 2024 election.” -Specific Some are selected by members of the State Election Board.”
“The State Board of Elections does not have the statutory authority to compel election monitors handpicked by the State Board of Elections to pay the Fulton County BRE (Board of Registration and Elections) and Fulton County,” the lawsuit states.
On Tuesday, the Georgia State Board of Elections responded by voting 3-2 to require the Fulton County Clerk of Courts to produce 2020 election documents. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
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People show up to vote during early voting. (Christopher Mark Juhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The state Board of Elections concluded in May that the county violated parts of the state election code. Voted to issue a letter of reprimand, which included instructions for a mutually acceptable monitoring agreement by the board's August meeting.
But the county and state election boards were unable to reach an agreement. The county supports a group it has already approved and was proposed by Ryan Germany, former chief counsel for the Office of the Secretary of State and the Atlanta-based Carter Center. Trump has proposed an alternative ticket supported by a majority of the state Board of Elections that includes people who question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
An Aug. 19 legal opinion written by state Attorney General Chris Carr and obtained by The Associated Press said the state elections board's final decisions are “informal” and “relitigation of all claims that have already been, or may be” adjudicated. , therefore barred. .” Fulton County attorneys emphasized that the approval of the motion at the May meeting and the resulting reprimand meant the case could not be closed and reopened and that “the argument is probably correct,” Carr wrote.
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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is seen at the National Association of Secretaries of State winter meeting on February 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Asked about the attorney general’s guidance, Johnston said: “It was an opinion. It wasn't a cool conclusion. It was their advice or opinion. We have a different opinion on this.”
The Republican majority on the state Board of Elections repeatedly said during an August meeting that it did not support the county party. But the county board reaffirmed its election and county commissioners voted days later to approve the contract.
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Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Universal Image Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The latest development comes a week after the Georgia State Board of Elections Controversy erupted A 3-2 vote to approve a rule requiring poll workers to count the number of paper ballots in hand after voting is complete was opposed by the office the state attorney general, the secretary of state's office and a municipal elections association. The authorities, however, are supported by many conservatives.
According to the Associated Press, the new rules require that the number of paper ballots — not the number of votes cast — be counted by three separate poll workers at each polling place until all three counts are equal. If there are more than 750 ballots in the scanner at the end of voting, the voting administrator may decide to start counting the next day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
