Three Donald Trump loyalist Georgia State Election Board members passed a new rule on Friday that requires the hand counting of paper ballots for the upcoming Nov. 5 Election Day, despite warnings of potential delays in reporting results. The rule was finalized by a 3-2 vote, with the board’s chairman and a Democratic member opposing it. The rule mandates that three poll workers sort and count ballots in piles of 50 to ensure accuracy with scanned ballots. Another proposed rule for early voting was tabled.
The adoption of these rules raised concerns among county election officials and voting rights advocates, who fear that the changes could lead to delays in reporting results and create confusion. Some also worry that the rules may be exploited by Trump supporters to undermine the electoral process in case of a loss.
The Democratic Party of Georgia, Fair Fight Action, and nonpartisan election officials have expressed concerns over the potential consequences of these new rules on the election process. Republican Attorney General Chris Carr also warned the board that changes should comply with election laws. Despite the opposition and warnings, the Trump loyalist members proceeded with the adoption of the new rules.
The state legislature is being urged to intervene and make any necessary changes to election laws for ballot counting reconciliation. As the election date draws near, concerns remain about the impact of these rules on the electoral process. Stay tuned to georgiarecorder.com for updates on this developing story.
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