Peach Tree Times

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that will allow two county election boards to stop using legal processes under Georgia law during the January runoff elections.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a news release that the Obama-appointed judge enjoined Ben Hill and Muscogee counties from following the law next week during the election. 

“This ruling is a direct attack on rule of law in Georgia and the integrity of elections in this state, and I will not stand for it,” Raffensperger said in the news release. “Without even hearing from Muscogee County, a President Obama-appointed judge has decided to overturn the express will of Georgia law and the county elections officers around the state who follow it.”

District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is the sister of Stacey Abrams, who previously ran for governor and lost to Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018.

Abrams’ organization, Fair Fight, donated $2.5 million to Senate Majority PAC in November. Majority Forward, the plaintiff in the case against Ben Hill and Muscogee counties, is the non-profit arm of Senate Majority PAC.

Gardner ruled on Dec. 28 that the county boards of elections couldn’t proceed with challenges against a total of 4,185 registered voters who had previously filed change of address notices with the United States Postal Service, stating they had moved from Ben Hill or Muscogee counties.

Raffensperger sent approximately 8,000 letters to registered voters last week that had filed a change of address notice. In the letters, Raffensperger warned the individuals of the penalties for voting in Georgia when not being a Georgia resident.

Garden did not note in her ruling anything about the state’s voter challenge procedures. The state has several processes where Georgians can challenge registered voter qualifications up until 5 p.m on the day before an election if that voter casts a mail-in ballot. The challenges must be in writing and have specific grounds for the challenge.

Raffensperger notes that Gardner also referred to removing people from voting lists throughout her order, but the provisions of the law only deals with acceptance or rejection of ballots and not removal from lists.