Judge rules that election rules in Georgia created by Trump allies are invalid

A Georgia judge has invalidated several new election rules approved by the state’s Republican-controlled election board, calling them “unconstitutional” and in violation of state law. The ruling by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox applies to rules related to a hand-count requirement for Election Day ballots and rules tied to the certification of election results. Judge Cox stated that the election board did not have the authority to implement these rules, deeming them illegal, unconstitutional, and void. The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office and the state election board have not yet responded to requests for comment. The ruling comes after another judge blocked a rule requiring hand-counted ballots on Election Day, which critics say could cause delays in reporting final results. It was also ruled that county election boards cannot refuse to certify election results. Early in-person voting has already begun in Georgia, with over 300,000 ballots tallied after the first day, breaking the record set in the 2020 election. Georgia, a battleground state that narrowly went to Joe Biden in 2020, continues to face legal challenges regarding its election rules.

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