Forty-six days before the election, Georgia’s state election board approved a new rule requiring a hand-count of paper ballots cast on election day. The Trump-aligned majority on the board supported the rule, despite warnings from the state attorney general that it likely exceeds the board’s authority. Opponents, including board chair John Fervier and voting experts, argue hand-counts are time-consuming, costly, and error-prone.
The rule requires three people per precinct to hand-count ballots before machine tabulation, raising concerns among election officials about delays and potential inaccuracies. Attorney General Chris Carr warned many of the board’s proposed rules are likely illegal, potentially leading to legal challenges. Despite the pushback, the board also passed new rules for greater poll watcher access and public reporting of results.
Critics argue the last-minute rule changes could create confusion and strain election resources, with some officials expressing concern about the chain-of-custody problems introduced by hand-counting ballots. Mail-in and early voting are set to begin in October.
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