The Georgia State Election Board approved a new rule on Monday, introducing additional steps before election results can be certified, including a requirement to verify vote counts before the deadline for overseas and military ballots. The board voted 3-2 in favor of the rule.
The rule, seen as a move to safeguard the certification process ahead of the upcoming presidential election, follows an earlier requirement for counties to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before finalizing results.
Under the new rule, county election boards must meet by 3 p.m. on the Friday after election day to compile vote totals by precinct and ballot type. Ballots, including provisional ballots, absentee ballots requiring voter verification, and those from overseas and military voters, can still be received and counted until the end of that Friday. The rule also allows for the examination of all election-related documents, with elections only certified after any discrepancies are resolved. Final vote totals must be certified by county boards one week after election day, or by November 12 for this year’s presidential election.
Board member Janice Johnston defended the rule, emphasizing the board’s duty to ensure accurate vote counts and to exclude illegal votes.
The new rule, set to take effect in 20 days, comes just under two months before the November 5 election. While the State Election Board has the authority to create rules that don’t conflict with Georgia election laws, it does not certify election results—a responsibility that falls to county boards. So far, no lawsuits have been filed challenging the new rules.
The board postponed consideration of another proposal that would have required poll workers to hand-count ballots on election night to ensure totals matched those recorded by voting machines. After concerns were raised about potential delays, the board considered allowing verification of ballot counts the day after election day. This proposal may be revisited in a future meeting.
