A Georgia judge has put a stop to a new rule requiring the mandatory hand-counting of ballots on election night, just days before the polls open. The Georgia Election Board (GEB) had argued that hand-counting was essential to ensuring election integrity, but Democrats claimed it would lead to delays and uncertainty in the results.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that the hand-counting requirement was passed too close to Election Day, creating potential chaos in the electoral process. In his decision, McBurney drew parallels to the January 6 insurrection, stating that anything that adds uncertainty and disorder to the process “disserves the public.”
Instead of hand-counting, McBurney suggested that the state use a machine that requires human confirmation to count votes on election night. Lawyers for the GEB had argued that estimates of the time needed to hand-count all ballots were exaggerated, and that it would not conflict with certification or election night reporting.
However, McBurney countered that the timing of the hand-counting rule’s passage made its implementation “quite wrong.” While the GEB may believe that hand-counting is a good idea, McBurney said that the decision to enforce it so suddenly before an election was a mistake. In his opinion, McBurney emphasized the importance of maintaining a smooth and efficient electoral process, particularly in times of heightened tension and uncertainty. The judge’s ruling has significant implications for the upcoming elections in Georgia.
