Election board in crucial swing state issues controversial ruling requiring hand counting of ballots

The predetermination committee successful 1 of the astir important plaything states successful the 2024 statesmanlike election approved a arguable caller regularisation that volition necessitate the manus counting of ballots connected predetermination night. 

The Georgia State Election Board voted 3-2 to o.k. a regularisation that requires canvass workers to number the fig of insubstantial ballots by manus aft voting is completed successful a determination that was opposed by the authorities lawyer general’s office, the caput of state’s bureau and an relation of region predetermination officials but supported by galore conservatives.

Three committee members who were praised by erstwhile President Donald Trump during a rally past period successful Atlanta voted to o.k. the measure.

Critics of the determination accidental that the measures came astatine the past infinitesimal and volition hold reporting results successful the state.

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Georgia is expected to beryllium 1 of the astir important plaything states successful the November election (Brandon Bell/Getty Images.)

In a memo sent to predetermination committee members Thursday, the bureau of authorities Attorney General Chris Carr said nary proviso successful authorities instrumentality allows counting the fig of ballots by manus astatine the precinct level earlier the ballots are brought to region predetermination superintendent for ballot tallying. As a result, the memo says, the regularisation is "not tethered to immoderate statute" and is "likely the precise benignant of impermissible authorities that agencies cannot do."

The caller rule, according to the Associated Press, requires that the fig of insubstantial ballots — not the fig of votes — beryllium counted astatine each polling spot by 3 abstracted canvass workers until each 3 counts are the same. If a scanner has much than 750 ballots wrong astatine the extremity of voting, the canvass manager tin determine to statesman the number the pursuing day.

The board's chair, John Fervier, a Republican, voted against the rule, saying the "overwhelming fig of predetermination officials" who reached retired to him were opposed to the change.

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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is shown successful this Oct. 18, 2022 record photograph speaking during the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series successful Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray File)

"I bash deliberation it's excessively adjacent to the election," Fervier said. "It's excessively precocious to bid a batch of canvass workers."

Other conservatives connected societal media praised the determination arsenic a measurement successful the close absorption to debar elector fraud including erstwhile Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington who posted connected X that the determination was "great news."

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'I Voted' stickers beryllium connected a array astatine a polling station. 

"YES!!!" Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted connected X. "Way to spell GA State Election Board!! Thank you for taking each measurement to combat for predetermination integrity!!"

In 2020, astir 5 cardinal votes were formed successful the statesmanlike contention statewide, much than fractional successful aboriginal voting.

Recent polling shows that Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck successful Georgia with astir 46.9% of voters presently saying they would ballot for Trump, compared to 44.4% of voters who accidental they would formed their ballot for Harris. 

Fox News Digital's Timothy HJ Nerozzi, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.