The Georgia State Election Board has approved a controversial new rule that will require the hand counting of paper ballots on election night, a decision that has been met with mixed reactions. The rule, which was passed by a 3-2 vote, mandates that poll workers count the number of paper ballots by hand after voting is completed. This decision has been opposed by the state attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office, and an association of county election officials, but supported by many conservatives. Three board members who were praised by former President Donald Trump during a recent rally in Atlanta voted in favor of the measure.
Critics of the new rule argue that these measures were introduced at the last minute and will result in delays in reporting election results in the state. The office of state Attorney General Chris Carr stated in a memo that the rule is not supported by any provision in state law and could potentially be considered impermissible legislation. The rule requires three separate poll workers at each polling place to count the number of paper ballots until all three counts match. If a scanner contains over 750 ballots at the end of voting, the count can be postponed until the following day at the discretion of the poll manager.
The board’s chair, John Fervier, expressed concerns about the timing of the new rule, stating that it is too close to the election to adequately train poll workers. Despite opposition from some election officials, the decision has been praised by conservatives as a step towards preventing voter fraud. Former Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington and Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene both celebrated the decision on social media, emphasizing the importance of election integrity. In the 2020 presidential race in Georgia, over five million votes were cast, with a significant portion being cast during early voting.
Recent polling data indicates that the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia is extremely close, with both candidates polling around 46-47%. These poll results suggest that the upcoming election in Georgia could be highly contested and closely watched. The decision to implement hand counting of paper ballots on election night adds a new layer of complexity and scrutiny to the electoral process in the state. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the outcome of the election in Georgia could have significant implications for the overall result. Fox News Digital, The Associated Press, and Reuters provided contributions to this report on the developments in the Georgia State Election Board’s decision.
