Georgia Judge Halts Mandate for Counties to Hand-Count Election Day Ballots

A Georgia judge blocked a new rule from the state’s election board that would have required ballots cast on Election Day to be hand-counted, citing concerns about delays and chaos. This decision, likely to be appealed, is a win for Democrats who opposed the rule. The controversial rule was approved by three board members praised by former President Donald Trump, sparking concerns about its impact on election result reporting. Critics argue that hand-counting ballots is less accurate and more expensive than using tabulators and is based on baseless claims of hacked voting machines. The three board members who approved the rule were appointed by Republican entities, while the two who opposed it were appointed by the state’s Republican governor and Democratic Party. This decision follows other controversial rules passed by the same board members in August, allowing county election board members to conduct “reasonable” inquiries before certifying results. Critics fear this could lead to chaos as the term “reasonable inquiry” is not clearly defined. The ruling has sparked multiple Democratic-led lawsuits challenging the rules put forth by the Georgia election board.

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