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Georgia State Election Board considers more last-minute changes to election rules amid concerns

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Published  September 23, 2024 7:01pm EDT
2024 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia election board considers more rule changes

Georgia's election board is considering making more changes to the state's electoral system just 42 days before the election.

In brief: 

    • Georgia's State Election Board discussed potential changes, including mandating hand-counting of all ballots from Election Day and requiring ballot scans within 72 hours post-election.
    • Some board proposals, such as releasing the voter roll and enforcing manual recounts, were retracted or rejected.
    • Janice Johnston, aligned with former President Trump, claimed the changes address election integrity concerns, while Trump referred to her and others as his "pit bulls."
    • The ACLU of Georgia's executive director, Andrea Young, criticized the rule changes as arbitrary and a response to conspiracy theories, noting they could cause issues for county election boards with fewer resources.
    • Despite concerns and potential legal challenges, Johnston expressed confidence in state and county officials managing the electoral changes, while Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger warned of potential legal weaknesses in the new rules.

ATLANTA - Georgia State Election Board spent Monday discussing more potential last-minute changes to the state's electoral system, following its decision on Friday to mandate the hand-counting of all ballots cast on Election Day. 

Six weeks from Election Day, on Monday, the board voted unanimously to advance a change requiring county governments to provide ballot scans within 72 hours of Election Day. 

Other proposals, ranging from releasing the statewide voter roll and mandating manual re-counts, were either withdrawn or turned down.  

Janice Johnston, a member of the board aligned with former President Donald Trump, said people were overreacting.  

"Everyone should take a deep breath and calm down," Johnston said. 

RELATED: Georgia State Election Board approves new hand-counting ballot rule

The board’s discussions come just days after the hand-counting mandate made national headlines.  

Johnston said the changes were necessary to address concerns on the right about election integrity. Former President Donald Trump, who has maintained his stance that he did not lose Georgia in the 2020 election, has referred to Johnston and two other members of the board as his "pit bulls."  

"These rules will help to prevent the last-minute surprise of questioning the results about the count or audit or recount," Johnston added. 

However, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, Andrea Young, said the rule changes were arbitrary and would only sow more doubt into the process. 

"We’ve never seen this kind of activity," Young said. "They’re not doing this under the advice of the professionals who have been conducting elections for years. They are responding to conspiracy theorists." 

Young expressed concern that county election boards will struggle to implement these new changes, especially counties with fewer resources, with early voting set to begin on October 15.  

SEE ALSO: Georgia election board members under fire for last-minute rule changes

Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, addressed the board's recent decisions on Friday in an emailed statement, "Attorney General Chris Carr has stated that these rules would not withstand a legal challenge, and I have worked every day to strengthen Georgia’s election law to ensure our elections remain safe, secure, and free." 

Johnston said she remained confident in the state and county officials’ abilities to manage the changes.  

"The counties and the Secretary of State are responsible for the conduct of elections. And I am sure that they will do what it takes to conduct a fair, orderly, uniform, and honest election." 

The ACLU of Georgia has indicated it plans to challenge the rules in court to prevent them from taking effect. 

The next state election board meeting is slated for Oct. 8. 

Sources: 

  • Georgia State Election Board, Georgia's Secretary of State, The ACLU of Georgia