A Georgia judge has ruled that seven new election rules passed by the State Election Board are illegal, unconstitutional, and void. The ruling came after challenges were raised against the rules, with Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox deeming them unsupported by Georgia's Election Code and contrary to it.
The invalidated rules include requirements for hand-counting ballots after polls close and certification of election results. Judge Cox ordered the immediate removal of these rules and instructed all state and local election officials not to follow them.
The State Election Board, controlled by three Republicans endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has faced legal challenges over rules related to post-ballot processes. These rules have sparked concerns about potential delays in certification and casting doubt on election results.
One of the blocked rules mandated a hand-count of Election Day ballots by three poll workers to match paper ballots with electronic tallies. Critics argued that this could slow result reporting and burden poll workers.
Supporters contended that the hand-count would only take extra minutes and not hours, with the option to send scanner memory cards for tabulation while the count is ongoing.
Additionally, rules related to certification processes were invalidated for lacking legal authorization and potentially causing delays. The judge highlighted inconsistencies with Georgia law in these rules.
Other rules deemed invalid include requirements for absentee ballot delivery, video surveillance of ballot drop boxes, expansion of poll watcher areas, and daily updates on early voting counts.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging these rules, with concerns raised by both Democratic and Republican officials about the confusion and potential impact on voter confidence.
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the office of state Attorney General Chris Carr have expressed concerns about the last-minute nature of the rules and their potential conflicts with existing laws.
