Local officials face Georgia Board of Elections rules that could shake up November

Hearing was held this Tuesday Important counties in Georgia The lawsuit against the State Election Board (SEB) leaves about three weeks for voters to go to the polls on November 5th.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney is overseeing the lawsuit filed by the Cobb County Board of Elections earlier this month. The bipartisan council is questioning a set of new rules imposed by the SEB, including a measure requiring precinct election workers. Manual counting of ballots After the end of voting to ensure correct machine tabulation.

The rule also sparked a lawsuit filed by Democratic officials in Georgia, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

Cobb County is a predominantly suburban area anchored by the city of Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta.

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During Tuesday's hearing, SEB attorneys argued that there is no limit to when election rules can be enacted and pointed out that the specific manual counting rule applies only to ballots, not counting individual votes cast on ballots.

“What we are doing is, upon receipt of your vote (it must be), mirror the number given in the machine”, stated the lawyer.

But McBurney noted that it was “late in the game” for SEB to change election rules, but also acknowledged that in a vacuum, wanting to make sure the number of votes matched the automatic count was a “laudable goal.”

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“Why don’t we pause, especially on the manual counting rule, given what appears to be a pretty strong history of chaos being sown?” the judge asked the defendants' lawyers.

“I ask you, from a practical point of view, if the objective is orderly and reliable elections, why is it prudent – ​​from the point of view of rationality – not to say: 'Let's try the next elections', when all these issues can be asked. No one needs to sue?

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney is overseeing the case. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

GOP officials have defended the rule as a critical measure to ensure voters can have confidence in their elections, but Democrats have argued it is intended to cast doubt on the process.

The Cobb County lawsuit argued that the rules put election boards across the state in an “unenviable position.”

An attorney supporting the plaintiffs later pointed to state officials who opposed the rule change, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

“Everyone is concerned about the implications of this rule,” said the lawyer.

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“In an ideal sterile environment, one thing would be for fresh, energized people to sit down and count the votes… It doesn’t work like that. In reality, our petitioner's statement points out, election officials go to the polls at 5 am. , 5:30am, 6pm They stay up until 8pm, 10pm, and then we're talking about adding something to a day that's already 14 to 16 hours long, when people are tired.

McBurney noted that this could be done the next day, to which the lawyer responded, “But there are challenges that come with that, Your Honor.“

The judge said that the manual counting rule “does not directly interfere with the ongoing certification process”, but that “it would be a drain on resources, without a doubt”.

But SEB's lawyer later criticized the plaintiff's argument as speculative.

“What it says repeatedly is, quote, 'I'm concerned about the last-minute adoption of the rule… I'm concerned that the Cobb County election office doesn't have space.' I am concerned that the hand-counting rule may cause delays,'” he said.

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“It’s hypothetical on top of speculation, hypothetical on top of speculation. There is no imminent threat. There is a threat of possible things that could happen if the worst-case scenario occurs, and that is simply not enough for a declaratory judgment.”

McBurney heard the case on the same day he issued a ruling in a separate Georgia election case, ruling that county election supervisors are not allowed to delay certifying results based on their own suspicions of fraud or error.

There is a commotion of the case Vote counting and voter turnout are expected in these elections, as is the case with virtually every presidential election cycle.

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