Georgia Election Board Moves to Allow Delays in Certification of Results
- GOP-led State Election Board set to adopt rule allowing for potential delay in Georgia's election certification.
- Georgia Republicans have granted local officials the power to postpone certification of the vote, raising concerns.
- The move could throw the swing state into chaos during the upcoming election.
The Georgia State Election Board, under Republican control, is set to adopt a controversial rule that could enable county election board members to delay the certification of election results. This move raises concerns about potential chaos in the state's vote count during the upcoming fall elections. The proposal is linked to the Election Integrity Network, led by Cleta Mitchell, who previously played a significant role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Key figures involved in the proposed rule include Julie Adams, a Republican member of the Fulton County elections board, and Heather Honey, head of the Election Research Institute. Both have been associated with initiatives aimed at questioning the integrity of past elections. During discussions, Adams emphasized the need for the rule to ensure compliance with voting laws, claiming it was intended to identify issues before certification rather than to invalidate precincts. Despite support from some board members, concerns were raised about the legality of the proposed rule, with warnings that it could contradict both federal and state laws. The board's Democratic member highlighted the seriousness of refusing to certify valid votes as a criminal act. Ultimately, the board voted 3-2 to adopt the rule, allowing for delays in certification to conduct "reasonable inquiries" into election results, a decision that could have significant implications for the electoral process in Georgia.