Georgia Judge Halts Ballot Hand Count Rule for 2024 Election

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The judge ruled the hand count rule was โ€™too much, too late’ given the proximity to the election, but could be used in the future.

A federal judge in Georgia temporarily halted a rule on Tuesday requiring election officials to hand count ballots in the 2024 elections, finding that it introduces uncertainty into the process.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that pausing the new hand count rule was appropriate, given that the election is just weeks away.

โ€œAnything that adds uncertainty and disorder to the electoral process disserves the public,โ€ Judge McBurney said in his ruling, in which he described the election season as โ€œfraught.โ€

โ€œBecause the Hand Count Rule is too much, too late, its enforcement is hereby enjoined while the Court considers the merits of Petitioner and Petitioner-Intervenorsโ€™ case,โ€ the judge said.

However, the rule could potentially come into effect for future elections once the more than 150 local election boards have had time to prepare and train workers.

The lawsuit, filed by the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, centered around six rules passed by the Georgia State Election Board on Sept. 20. The plaintiffs argue that the rules violate state election laws by adding unnecessary and burdensome requirements to the election process.

The plaintiffs deemed the hand count rule the โ€œmost disruptiveโ€ of the six, which include a poll watcher rule, daily reporting rule, reconciliation reports rule, reconciliation rule, and recorded count rule. The hand count rule would require election workers in each precinct to verify ballots by hand counting after polls close on Election Day.

The six rules were due to take effect on Oct. 22, which would be seven days after early voting began and 14 days before the election.

Hand Count Rule

Under the halted hand count rule, after polls close on Election Day, the poll manager and two poll officers of every precinct would have been expected to open the scanner ballot box and remove the paper ballots. Three poll officers were to then count the ballots independently, sorting them into stacks of 50. Under the rule, each poll officer must have arrived at the same final count. Once aligned, the poll workers sign a control document with key information, including the polling place and scanner serial number.

Byย Caden Pearson

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Seventy-one, But Iโ€™m Still Not Done, LEARNING!

My favorite activities in life are thinking (learning) and laughing and it's been found that a โ€œsense of humorโ€ is a sign of higher intelligence.

Good Night And Good Riddance To The Late Show

Shocking announcement that The Late Showย with Stephen Colbert will officially cease production rocked the Democratic Party, as Colbert is a staunch supporter.

Coldplay Concert Offers Us Garden of Eden Moment

Adultery is still illegal in 10 states. It was illegal in 15 states just 30 years ago. There was a time when adultery was a crime in all 50 states!

Uncle SLICโ€™s lingering loans

School may be out for the summer, but the Student Loan Industrial Complex (SLIC) chugs along no matter what time of the year it is.

Epsteinโ€™s Island

The miscommunication by Trump Admin officials on Epstein rival any of the comedic exchanges between the Skipper and Gilligan, without the laughs.

Gabbard Releases More Than 243,000 Pages of Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Files

243,000+ pages of files related to 1968 killing of civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., were declassified and released by the DNI Tulsi Gabbard.

LA Police Seek ID of Man Who Allegedly Shot Driver Accused of Crashing Into Nightclub Crowd

LA police detectives are asking the public to help identify man suspected of shooting driver of a car that plowed into a crowd outside a nightclub.

โ€˜Cosby Showโ€™ Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies by Drowning at 54

American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner died by drowning after being pulled out to sea by a rip current while vacationing in Costa Rica with his family.

US Housing Construction Starts Jump 4.6 Percent in May: Census

Privately owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,321,000 units, a 4.6 percent jump from May.

Gabbard Releases More Than 243,000 Pages of Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Files

243,000+ pages of files related to 1968 killing of civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., were declassified and released by the DNI Tulsi Gabbard.

Chinaโ€™s Rare-Earth Magnet Exports to US Surge in June Amid Trade Talks

Chinaโ€™s exports of rare-earth magnets to US saw a rebound in June, rising more than sevenfold from May, a sign of easing tensions amid trade war.

Gabbard Says Obama-Era Officials Will Face Criminal Referral Over 2016 Election Documents

DNI Tulsi Gabbard has made criminal referrals to the FBI and DOJ related to an investigation into alleged Russia collusion involving President Trump.

Commerce Secretary Says US Still Eyeing 10 Percent Baseline Tariff

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the US is still aiming to leave a 10 percent baseline tariff on many smaller countries
spot_img

Related Articles