The Georgia State Election Board voted on Tuesday to endorse three rules for formalized rulemaking. One rule would require a hand count at the end of voting days to verify vote totals given by machines. Another rule concerns steps local election boards may take before certifying election results, and the third rule requires public reconciliation reports for vote totals. These rules would need to go through further steps before being formally established.
One of the rules, proposed by Fayette County election board member Sharlene Alexander, would require three people at a polling precinct to independently count the total number of ballots to ensure they align with machine totals. The proposed rule also outlines steps for correcting any discrepancies.
While Alexander described utilizing this process in the past as effective, Democratic appointment Sara Tindall Ghazal raised concerns about its feasibility. Another proposed rule calls for a review of precinct returns before county boards certify election results, including comparing the number of unique voter IDs used against the total number of votes cast.
Lastly, a rule requiring the public publishing of election reconciliation reports advanced with a 4-0 vote. These rules aim to increase transparency and accuracy in the election process. Further steps are needed before the rules are formally established.
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