On Monday, Democrats filed a lawsuit against Georgia's State Election Board regarding a new rule mandating hand-counting of ballots cast at polling places on Election Day. The Democrats argue that this rule could potentially provide an opportunity for individuals to falsely claim election fraud.
This legal action is part of an ongoing dispute between the Democratic Party and Georgia's GOP-controlled elections board over a series of controversial rules recently implemented. Critics fear that these rules could lead to post-election chaos in the state.
The lawsuit, supported by Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, contends that the hand-counting rule contradicts state law and represents an overreach of authority by the board. The rule was approved by three allies of former President Donald Trump in a 3-2 vote earlier this month.
The complaint filed by the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Georgia warns that implementing the Hand Count Rule could disrupt the election process, causing delays in reporting vote counts, challenges for election officials, lack of training for poll workers, and potential risks to ballot security.
The lawsuit emphasizes that these delays could create opportunities for false claims of election fraud, undermining public confidence in election results and the legitimacy of Democratic candidates.
Prior to the adoption of the new rules, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, cautioned the board members that the policies likely violated state law and could be subject to legal challenges. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also a Republican, echoed concerns that altering the rules so close to the election would be impractical.
