Georgia Election Board Approves New Certification Rule
Georgia Election Board Approves New Certification Rule
The Facts
The Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board on Monday approved by a 3-2 vote a new rule authorizing any member of a county board of election "to examine all election related documentation created" during the election process prior to certifying the results.The Georgia State Election Board approved a new rule on Monday, 3-2, authorizing any member of a county board of election "to examine all election related documentation created" during the election process prior to certifying the results.
The new rule also requires each county's board of elections to meet before 3 p.m. on the Friday after the election to compare the total of unique voter ID numbers in each precinct to the total votes cast. Votes can't be counted before this is resolved, and if the results can't be reconciled the state board can "determine a method to compute the votes justly."The change also requires local election officials to meet no later than 3 p.m. on the Friday after Election Day to compare the total number of ballots cast and the total number of voters in each precinct before certifying results, and allows the board to "determine a method to compute votes justly" if the figures can't be reconciled.
The Spin
These rules are common-sense solutions to the problem of citizens losing faith in the integrity of the election system. The only people who would object to a rule ensuring enforcement of the one-person, one-vote policy are those aiming to do something nefarious to the elections. Now Georgians can cast their votes with confidence they'll be properly counted.
These rules adopted by the board seem neutral, but — in light of the partisan makeup of the board and its members' ties to Trump — are obviously an effort to make it easier to delay or prevent certification of the results. Trump failed to steal Georgia in 2020, and his allies are trying to pave the way for fraud — disguised as transparency — in 2024.
