Georgia election board approves new rules that critics fear could allow certification delays

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia State Election Board voted Monday to approve a new rule that supporters say is necessary to ensure that votes are properly counted but that critics argue could be used to cause chaos as election officials are trying to finalize election results.

Three members of the board who were called out by name by former President Trump during a campaign rally in Atlanta earlier this month as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory” voted to approve it. The nonpartisan board chair and the lone Democrat on the panel voted against it.

Trump continues to assert without proof that the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud, and his supporters say new rules are needed to safeguard against fraud or errors. But Democrats and some election integrity organizations fear Trump-aligned county election board members could use new rules to try to slow or halt the certification of elections if they don’t like the result.

The rule adopted Monday requires county election officials to generate lists of voters who cast ballots in an election, categorized by voting method, and to examine them for duplicates. After any discrepancies have been investigated and resolved as required by law, all returns “which are entitled to be counted” shall be recorded and verified as accurate.

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