John, we’re emailing you today with an update on new election rules that could allow Georgia election officials to interfere in election certification. If you already know that you’re standing with CREW in our work to protect election certification, then please, click here to make a donation today →

In the last few months, the Georgia State Election Board has pushed through several new rules, including one that allows election officials to conduct vague inquiries into election results, potentially allowing them to interfere with election certification.

Over 250 concerned citizens and organizations—including eleven state legislators—voiced their opposition to the rules. But instead of listening to the feedback from constituents, elected officials and organizations, the Board decided to implement even more new rules. So we submitted records requests to obtain the public comments submitted about those rules.

We just got back the public comments for two additional rules. Spoiler alert: The public opposed both by large margins.

Over 1,000 Georgia residents submitted public comments opposing the rule change passed by the Board that would empower county election board members to make demands for any election-related documents before certifying elections.

Of the over 1,100 comments, fewer than 150 were submitted in support, while over 950 (including one from CREW) urged the Board to reject the rule.

The vast majority of the comments were submitted by Georgia residents, who expressed concerns that the rule would slow the certification process, delay election results, burden election staff to produce documentation under considerable time constraints, amplify accusations of fraud and sow distrust in the election system.

And John, they’re right.

In addition, we got records showing that nearly two-thirds of 22 public comments submitted were opposed to a rule requiring additional steps for absentee ballot submission and video surveillance of early voting drop boxes.

These new rules may be used to delay or obstruct certification of the election—and they were implemented far too late.

But as we wrote in a new analysis, attempts to manipulate election rules like these damage our democracy, whether or not they succeed in delaying or disrupting certification.

Attempting to manipulate the results of elections and take the right to vote away is simply anti-democratic. And until Congress takes action by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, these new threats to American democracy will only become more common.

Thank you,

CREW HQ