Critics are saying voters in Georgia might have to wait longer for election results because of new rules introduced by the state’s election board, as reported by the BBC.
These new rules require poll workers to hand count ballots after the polls close to ensure that the number of paper ballots matches the machine tally. However, many worry this could lead to delays and mistakes.
Georgia is a key battleground state, and this new rule has stirred controversy, just like in 2020 when Donald Trump and his supporters made false claims of election fraud after narrowly losing the state.
Trump even pressured the state’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, to “find 11,780 votes” to overturn the result. Trump is now facing charges for allegedly trying to change the outcome in Georgia, according to the BBC.
Some election officials, like Janelle King, a Republican who voted for the new rule, believe it’s necessary to make sure election results are accurate, not just fast.
She told the BBC that people care more about accuracy than speed. However, others, including some Republicans, are worried the new rule could create chaos.
Anne Dover, an elections director in Georgia, said people pushing these changes are doing it out of fear about 2020, but they don’t understand how hard election officials work.
She believes this rule could cause problems on Election Day, like slowing down results and leading to more public doubt.
In Georgia, the state election board has become politically charged since 2020, with new Republican members pushing for changes.
Democrats and some Republicans have criticized these moves, saying they could cause confusion and damage trust in elections.
The board used to be nonpartisan, but after 2020, things changed. Raffensperger, who defended the results of the 2020 election, was pushed out of his role as board chair, and Trump-aligned Republicans took control, the BBC noted.
While supporters of the new rules believe they’ll lead to more transparency and trust, others fear they could backfire and repeat the chaos of 2020, when Trump’s unfounded fraud claims led to public mistrust and harassment of election officials.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwylnl02em1o