Georgia’s once-quiet election board met under tense circumstances on Monday for its second full-day session to deliberate on new voting regulations. During the discussions, members exchanged accusations, with the board’s nonpartisan chair repeatedly calling for order. The meeting followed last week’s narrow 3-2 vote approving a rule that mandates counties to hand count ballots on or after election night.
In recent months, the board’s newly appointed Republican members have introduced changes that raised concerns Georgia could once again become a flashpoint for confusion during the upcoming election. This follows the fallout from Donald Trump’s narrow loss in Georgia in 2020, when he and his allies filed lawsuits and spread unproven claims of election fraud. Trump even pressured Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” — the exact margin by which he lost the state. Trump now faces state criminal charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 results in Georgia.
The state election board’s meetings have since become contentious, with Democratic member Sarah Tindall Ghazal accusing her Republican colleagues of being influenced by “far-right-wing beliefs.” On Monday, Republican board member Janice Johnston rebutted, saying the criticism was a “character assassination.” Last Friday’s vote on hand-counting ballots has sparked opposition from local election officials, who worry the rule will lead to delays in reporting results and increase human errors.
Under the new regulation, poll workers are required to hand count ballots on election night or the following day to ensure that the number of paper ballots matches the machine count. Janelle King, a Republican who voted in favor, argued the rule is meant to enhance accuracy and does not require counting actual vote results. “Our voters care more about accuracy than speed,” she said. “It’s the best practice.”
Other officials disagree. Anne Dover, a Republican election director in Cherokee County, called the rule “a recipe for disaster,” stating it stems from unfounded fears about the 2020 election’s legitimacy. Dover mentioned that her husband still questions the results. Ethan Compton, an election supervisor in Irwin County, warned the rule could lead to chaos and undermine trust in the process.
This is not the first time voting rules have caused upheaval in an election year. Four years ago, Democrats faced lawsuits after expanding the use of ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin and postal voting in Pennsylvania. What makes Georgia’s situation unique is that criticism is coming from both parties.
Georgia’s State Election Board comprises three Republicans, one Democrat, and a chair appointed by the Republican governor. Traditionally seen as a nonpartisan body, the board became a political lightning rod after the 2020 election. Previously chaired by the secretary of state, the board’s composition changed when Republicans ousted Raffensperger following his defense of the election results. Since then, Trump-aligned Republicans have gained control, with new members such as King, Johnston, and former state senator Rick Jeffares pushing for further election changes.
One such change, approved earlier this year, allows local election boards to conduct “reasonable inquiries” into election results before certification. King believes this rule will boost confidence in elections by giving board members the ability to scrutinize documents. Trump himself praised the board’s new Republican members, referring to them as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.”
Despite concerns about the potential for disruption in November, some officials and election experts believe Georgia’s overall voting laws will ensure a secure presidential election. However, they warn that the lingering doubts sown by misinformation during the last election could further erode public trust. Dover mentioned that past misinformation led to threats against election officials, while Peter Simmons, a policy strategist with the non-profit Protect Democracy, noted that many Americans still believe Trump’s disproven claims of fraud, which continue to shape actions in Georgia today.
