Georgia Supreme Court denies bid to reinstate election rule changes

ATLANTA — The Georgia Supreme Court has denied an expedited appeal of a Fulton County Superior Court ruling that invalidated a series of election law changes approved by the Republican-controlled State Election Board.

Tuesday’s unanimous decision means none of the rules changes opposed by Democrats and some Republicans will be in effect for the Nov. 5 elections.

Last week’s decision in the Fulton County case came in a lawsuit filed by Eternal Vigilance Action, a Georgia-based advocacy group headed by former Republican state Rep. Scot Turner.

“The quick decision by a Fulton County judge followed closely by a unanimous vote of the state Supreme Court should erase any doubt about the merits of our arguments,” Turner said Tuesday. “I’m a Republican and this is a conservative policy organization. I do not like fighting my friends, but in this instance, fealty to the Georgia Constitution demands it.”

The most consequential of the rules changes would have required counties to hand-count the number of ballots cast at polling places on Election Day and allow local election officials to delay certifying results of an election in order to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” if they suspect voter fraud.

The five-member State Election Board’s three Republican members have approved the rules changes during several meetings since August, arguing they were trying to restore public confidence in the electoral process after many Republicans in Georgia and around the country questioned the results of the 2020 elections. Dozens of court cases in the Peach State and across the nation concluded there was no widespread voter fraud.

Opponents countered that the new rules were aimed at sowing chaos and confusion by delaying next month’s election results, potentially allowing former President Trump to claim victory in Georgia even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins more votes.

“Today’s ruling is a huge win for Georgia voters and the rule of law,” Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, a voting-rights organization founded by two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, said. “This is a critical victory in the ongoing fight to protect independent elections.”

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