Peach Tree Times

On September 20, Georgia’s State Elections Board (SEB) passed a rule requiring poll workers to hand count the number of ballots from the ballot box at the end of election day. This counting will occur after ballots have been tabulated but before results are submitted to county election offices.

If upheld against potential legal challenges, this rule would necessitate counting an estimated 1.5 million ballots as part of the poll closing procedure. For comparison, Georgia voters cast 1.4 million ballots at polling places on Election Day in 2022.

The SEB also considered a similar rule for Early Voting but did not approve it. The proposed changes have faced opposition from various entities including Georgia’s Voter Registration Election Officials (GAVREO), Secretary of State Raffensperger, and the Georgia Attorney General’s office. Concerns include potential delays in results, errors due to fatigued employees, retraining requirements for poll workers close to the election, and questions about whether these rules exceed the Board’s statutory authority.

During recent meetings, the SEB has been suggesting changes to Georgia’s election certification process—a process trusted by Georgia voters for years. These proposals include allowing local officials to make an “inquiry” before certification without defining what “inquiry” means.

Susannah Goodman, director of election security at Common Cause, responded with a statement:

“It’s important that Georgia voters understand what this means.

“In this context, ‘hand counting’ actually means counting the number of ballots one-by-one, not hand tallying all the votes for each candidate in all races.

“Introducing this new rule just weeks before the presidential election is likely to cause confusion and expense. It will add delays on election night as workers at each polling place have to implement a new and unfamiliar poll-closing process. It adds a new burden on election officials and poll workers, and counties will be required to pay for the additional time they work.

“Creating a new possibility for confusion and delay on election night is not in the best interest of Georgia’s voters.”