The State Election Board in Georgia, held by the GOP, looks set to propose a fresh regulation this Monday. This rule presents local election board members with an additional channel to table the certification of voting results, raising the possibility for confusion in the upcoming fall state vote count.
This initial draft of the rule was reportedly introduced by a prior Fulton County election administrator acting on the orders of a central figure from a right-leaning group. This organization is recognized for querying the validity of the U.S. electoral system. The involvement of the Election Integrity Network in the new rule proposal was not publicly known until now.
This development follows a previous decision made less than a fortnight ago, empowering county election board members to pursue a ‘reasonable inquiry’ into claims of voting discrepancies. The decision did not delineate how long such an inquiry may take or what it should comprise of, fuelling criticism and raising concerns of Georgia missing the Dec. 11 deadline to submit its verified presidential election results to the federal authorities.
According to election specialists, this new proposed rule raises further alarm. It mandates county boards to scrutinize inconsistencies, no matter how trivial, between the total votes cast and the number of voters in a particular precinct. The rule prohibits counties from confirming their election result counts until officials have examined an investigation for each precinct with inconsistent totals.
Common discrepancies, which are not indicative of misconduct and almost never influence the election result, are now under the obligatory review. The necessity to account for each inconsistency alongside the likely legal challenges surrounding these investigations could far exceed the legally allowed timeframe for certification.
As outlined by Ben Berwick, leader of the election law and litigation team at Protect Democracy, if this rule is approved, any assertion of fraud or discrepancies, no matter how minor, can serve as a baseless argument for a county board member to express doubt in the results. Such cases can result in delayed certification on the grounds of the flimsiest of excuses, thus creating opportunities for elections to be undermined.
This rule seems to serve as a tool for individuals attempting to disrupt the process if the election outcome is not to their liking. Following Trump’s rallying cry of ‘stop the steal’ in his endeavours to challenge his defeat against Biden, there has been a noticeable rise in conservative election board members blocking certification of subsequent elections, particularly at county level.
These disruptions have exposed vulnerabilities within the U.S. electoral system, but unfortunately, these facts were only brought to light due to diligent reporting. One should note that this critique serves to emphasize on the tenacious spirit of our democracy rather than an attempt to discredit it.
Initially, the five-person panel, comprising of four Republicans, unanimously rejected the proposal but agreed to assign two members to liaise with the rule’s supporters and refine the proposal for consideration later.
The dwelling on this rule took an unexpected turn when the Republican House speaker decided to replace a board member, an experienced Republican lawyer specializing in election law, who deemed the rule illegal and voted against it. In his place, Janelle King was appointed, presenting an intriguing shift in the power dynamics of the State Election Board.
The Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, representing Georgia’s Republicans, expressed strong opposition to the rule, labelling it as ‘new activist rulemaking’. He argued that, according to Georgia’s law, the certification was obligatory. Raffensperger indicated that attempted interferences by county board members could lead interested parties to seek a court order forcing government officers to perform their official duties in a proper manner.
The introduction of such a rule would no doubt trigger a litany of litigation, with prominent entities like the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee likely to join the legal fray. This potential scenario carries echoes of the 2000 election recount in Florida that ended with a controversial 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision favoring Republican George W. Bush.
As Marisa Pyle, the senior democracy defense manager for Georgia with All Voting is Local Action nation puts it, ‘The 100% definitive answer is that no one knows how such a crisis would play out.’ This statement underscores the uncertainty and potential chaos that could ensue from implementing such a rule.
It’s quite clear that Georgia, a battleground state, is under the microscope, and any changes in election policy could have a far-reaching impact. Those who champion fairness and integrity in our election system are understandably wary of this potential development and its potential implications.
In conclusion, the proposed rule, if adopted, could set a new precedent with significant implications for the country’s voting system. However, it is our collective responsibility as a nation to ensure that our democracy thrives under the principles of fairness, transparency, and respect for the voters’ will.
Georgia GOP Leads the Way with New Rule to Secure Elections appeared first on Real News Now.
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