With just weeks before the November 5 presidential election, Georgia's State Election Board voted 3-2 in favor of requiring ballots to be hand-counted. This decision, supported by the board's pro-Trump majority, is seen as a move that could potentially cause delays and confusion in the battleground state. Sara Tindall Ghazal, the only Democrat on the board, expressed concern, stating, "The counties are being set up for failure," highlighting the complexities the change would introduce. Ghazal also raised legal issues, noting that the board was advised it lacked the legal authority to mandate hand-counting, a point she called "the most troubling part" of the decision.
The new rule requires a hand count in addition to the standard machine count, which could slow the process of reporting results on election night. This is especially concerning in Georgia, a key state where Donald Trump narrowly lost to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump has continued to push false claims of voter fraud in Georgia, and voting rights advocates fear the new rule could serve as part of a broader effort to cast doubt on the election outcome.
Ari Berman, a voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, described the rule change as part of a larger Republican strategy to "rig the voting rules to benefit their side in a really unprecedented way." Berman also noted efforts by Trump allies to alter Nebraska's Electoral College process, which could further complicate the election.
The hand-counting mandate, coming just weeks before the election, has raised concerns about potential delays in certifying results. Ghazal warned that the new procedures might cause some counties to be unable to report their vote totals promptly, creating a chaotic situation on election night that could affect the national outcome.
Link: Democracy Now