John,

On Friday, the Georgia State Election Board voted on a set of 11 new election rules that could allow election officials to interfere in the results of elections they don’t like.

The Board had already passed new rules allowing election officials in Georgia’s 159 counties to arbitrarily investigate the election process before certifying election results and allowing county board members to examine “all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections prior to certification of results.”

Now, the Board just passed six out of the 11 other proposed new rules, throwing even more chaos and uncertainty into this year’s election.

The most disruptive new rules that the Board passed would:

1. Mandate hand-counting of the number of Election Day ballots cast at voting machines, and require that three poll officers at each polling place all reach the same exact number matching the machine count, thus increasing the risk of delaying certification;
2. Require a daily reporting system for counties to publicize details of which voters have cast early and absentee ballots, which election officials have to implement mere days after the rule becomes effective;
3. Provide greater access for poll watchers in election tabulation areas, potentially increasing the number of poll watchers and thus the security required.

The problem is that some of these rules, like the hand-counting rule, are essentially impossible to implement so close to the election.

Georgia already has robust procedures to address allegations of voter fraud, and these last minute changes will only make that process more difficult.

That’s why we filed a public comment along with the ACLU of Georgia and the Public Rights Project objecting to the rules, and explaining that it is too late to make these types of changes.

John, we were not alone. County election directors universally opposed these changes, saying that they would undermine voter confidence in the election results. As did the secretary of state. And the Republican attorney general even warned the board in a letter that the rule change is likely against state law.

These new rules introduce opportunities for chaos, error, voter confusion and lawsuits. They increase the burden on election workers, create confusion and could lead to errors or delays in voting and make it easier for the Board to interfere with election certification.

Put simply, election deniers are laying the groundwork to delay certification. This is a transparent effort to undermine our democratic process—and it’s the last thing we need right now.

We won’t stand by as they fight to undermine our democracy. Please support our work by making a donation to CREW today →

Thank you,

CREW HQ