Proposed Rule Changes Could Delay 2024 Election Results

ATLANTA – At their most recent meeting on May 8, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) voted to initiate new rule-making procedures that could cause delays or interfere with the certification of the 2024 election. 

Some of the more recent concerning rule proposals include:

• Allowing county Boards of Elections to “exercise authority to oversee conduct of elections.” This proposed rule disagrees that certification is a government task and asks for a pre-certification reconciliation report of the number of voters and number of ballots.
• Allowing for video surveillance of drop boxes. 
• Allowing Boards of Elections to delay certification by asking for additional information or documentation from the election supervisors and election offices or allow them not to certify the election results in their county at all. 

The SEB has been reviewing these proposals and voted to have members work with on the rule and language and consider again at the next meeting. For some, the SEB voted to “Initiate Rule-Making” after the Board makes its own changes to the proposals. 

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 large turn-out 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 the following 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.

“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. 

“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.”

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