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If you need further signs of the intent to use the Georgia State Election Board for partisan electoral advantage, look no further than the state Republican party’s successful effort to intervene in our open meetings lawsuit against the board.
On Thursday, the Fulton County Superior Court ruled that the Georgia GOP may interfere in our litigation against the three Trump-aligned members of the SEB for their violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act on July 12.
- In its motion to intervene, the state Republican Party claimed to advance an interest in how the state runs elections, despite the lawsuit having nothing to do with election law itself.
- The party has also filed a motion to dismiss the case altogether — and thus help its allies on the board dodge accountability for their clear violation of state law. We will be opposing the GOP’s motion.
- “The Georgia Republican Party’s intervention in our lawsuit is a thinly veiled attempt to shield three rogue members of the State Election Board from accountability so they are free to act for the benefit of the party’s preferred candidates,” American Oversight’s interim executive director Chioma Chukwu said.
We sued the board’s three Trump-aligned members — Rick Jeffares, Janelle King, and Janice Johnston — in July for holding a meeting without the legally required public notice or a quorum to consider two changes to election rules, including one proposed by Jeffares requiring county election boards to post daily online ballot counts on their websites.
- Reporting revealed that the rule had been provided to Jeffares by the Georgia Republican Party chairman, in apparent coordination with the Republican National Committee.
- The other rule purported to increase the number of partisan poll monitors observing ballot counting at Georgia tabulation centers, a reportedly similar version of which was also shared by the state’s GOP.
- After we sued, the rules were withdrawn and reintroduced in a properly noticed meeting in August. During that meeting, the SEB approved a rule requiring local election officials to conduct “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results, and advanced another requiring workers in each polling place to hand-count ballots.
On the Records
Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Election Integrity Unit
Despite the rarity of voter fraud, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election integrity unit has aggressively pursued charges against volunteers and voters. Records obtained by American Oversight and reported on this week by the Washington Post illuminate how few cases of alleged voter fraud opened by the office have resulted in court rulings.
- The documents show that Paxton’s election integrity unit opened at least 169 cases of alleged voter fraud since 2016, while just one has appeared to result in a judgment.
- The records list reasons the other cases were dismissed including insufficient evidence, being declined by prosecution, and administrative closure.
- As the Post reported, experts say that when fraud in Texas does occur, “the cases rarely impact the outcome of elections or provide evidence of massive organized efforts to overturn them,” and that often “it’s the result of a mistake or misunderstanding about complicated laws.”
- Read more here about American Oversight’s investigations into state election integrity units.
Heat in Florida Prisons
As climate change produces longer heat waves and more dangerous weather, 75% of housing units for incarcerated people in Florida don’t have air conditioning. In response to our public records request to the Florida Department of Corrections for complaints about elevated temperatures or excessive heat in state facilities, as well as for the number of complaints from detainees since May 2023, we received just two complaints.
- As Tampa’s ABC Action News reported this week, this is in stark comparison with the more than 4,200 complaints made over five months in Texas facilities, which we obtained in response to a similar request.
- Lawmakers and officials know that excessive heat in Florida prisons is a major issue, and we requested these records to hold the government accountable for how it treats vulnerable populations.
Other Stories We're Following
Election Denial and Threats to Democracy
- Voting-related lawsuits filed in multiple states could be a way to contest the presidential election (Associated Press)
- 2020 election deniers ordered to pay $1 million in Pennsylvania voting machine dispute (CNN)
- Swing states prepare for a showdown over certifying votes in November (Stateline)
- In small towns, even GOP clerks are targets of election conspiracies (Michigan Advance)
- As election nears, Michigan, other states confront intimidation of clerks (Bridge Michigan)
- This Georgia election official faked refusing to certify an election (Rolling Stone)
- Judge orders Iowa to delay certifying ballots until Libertarian challenge is decided (Des Moines Register)
- Republicans seize on false theories about immigrant voting (New York Times)
Voting Rights
- Citizens caught in Ohio noncitizen voting audit say latest letter offers incomplete information (Ohio Capital Journal)
- GOP crackdowns on noncitizen voting ensnare newly naturalized Americans (NBC News)
- Wisconsin voter ID law still causing confusion, stifles turnout in Milwaukee, voting advocates say (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- National conservative group alleges systemic election fraud in survey sent to Indiana voters (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
- Ken Paxton sues Bexar County over voter registration outreach effort (Votebeat)
- Conservative groups step up push for more citizenship checks on Arizona voters (Votebeat)
- How a Native elections official is breaking down voting barriers in Arizona (Arizona Mirror)
- Christian group recruits ‘Trojan horse’ election skeptics as US poll workers (Guardian)
- Anti-trans laws may complicate access to the ballot for trans voters (19th News)
In the States
- Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee spoke at Florida retreat paid by Christian law firm behind new state laws (Nashville Tennessean)
- The country’s largest publishers sue Florida over school book bans (Washington Post)
- Man is first to be charged in New York with wearing a mask in public (New York Times)
- Fees for police body camera footage lead to ‘pretty steep’ charges thanks to new law (Arizona Mirror)
- Virginia attorney general affirms that local, state police can work with ICE (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
National News
- Ginni Thomas privately praised group working against Supreme Court reform: “Thank you so, so, so much” (ProPublica)
- Right-wing group funded by Project 2025 megadonors targets north Texas educators (Dallas Observer)
- Judge leaves temporary block on Biden legalization program for immigrant spouses (Reuters)
- Trump Jan. 6 case gets its first hearing since the Supreme Court's immunity ruling (NPR)
LGBTQ Rights
- State health department blocks transgender Texans from changing sex on birth certificates (Texas Tribune)
- 11th Circuit allows Alabama to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for minors (Associated Press)
- Dozens of Republicans file amicus brief against Tennessee’s transgender care ban (NBC News)
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
- Alaska governor vetoes expanded birth control access as a judge strikes down abortion limits (Associated Press)
- Doctors grapple with how to save women’s lives amid ‘confusion and angst’ over new Louisiana law (Louisiana Illuminator)
- Missouri judge says abortion-rights measure summary penned by GOP official is misleading (Associated Press)
- DeSantis administration reviewing abortion amendment petitions for ‘fraudsters’ (Tampa Bay Times)
- Florida health agency targets abortion rights ballot measure (New York Times)
- New Mexico starts building an abortion clinic to serve neighboring states, train medical students (Associated Press)
- After a study found toxic metals in tampons, lawmakers are pressing the FDA to act (NPR)
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