Peach Tree Times

On May 8, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) voted to initiate new rule-making procedures that could potentially delay or interfere with the certification of the 2024 election. The SEB has been reviewing these proposals and decided to have members work on the rules and language for further consideration at the next meeting. For some proposals, the SEB voted to "Initiate Rule-Making" after making its own changes.

The proposal process will include a required public comment period and a portal for citizens to submit comments before the Board makes a final decision. A significant number of public comments have come from 2020 election denier groups like Voter GA and True the Vote.

In response to these proposed rules, Anne-Gray Herring, policy analyst of Common Cause Georgia, issued a statement: “Let’s be clear: our election process in Georgia is and has always been safe and secure. We just concluded a critical primary and the first statewide primary where we are experiencing challenges to our voting systems."

She continued, “These newly proposed rules tarnish the public’s trust in our elections and cast doubt on the results. If implemented, these proposed rules could unnecessarily delay certification and threaten our free and fair democracy."

“These rules are simply trying to create solutions to problems that don’t exist. Instead, the board should focus on issuing rules and guidance on the issue of mass voter challenges," Herring added.

“While we are on the heels of concluding the general election, we anticipate that the Board will continue reviewing different proposals from members each meeting. Common Cause Georgia will continue to closely monitor these proposed rules and their implications ahead of the 2024 elections.”