The State Election Board in Georgia approved a rule on Tuesday that could have ramifications for the election in November and challenges to the results.
The rule, passed by a 3-2 vote of the board on Tuesday evening, stipulates that local election officials may conduct a “reasonable inquiry that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate and that the results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in that election” before certifying the results.
Supporters of the rule, including Republican board member Janice Johnston, argued it would have a minimal change to procedure in most elections and that an inquiry is not as intense as an audit.
“If elections are conducted fairly and legally and accurately, most of the time, they are certified. So it’s not the end of the world,” Johnston said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re not asking the board to do a full election audit or a forensic audit. We’re just asking for a reasonable inquiry.”
Those opposed to the rule argued it could create problems in closely contested elections, with the potential for delays in the certification of elections in the Peach State. Board Chairman John Fervier, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), joined the lone Democrat on the board to oppose the rule. He expressed concerns over the vagueness of the term.
“I’m sympathetic to boards being able to look at documents prior to certifying,” Fervier said. “I also believe there should be some guardrails around that. There don’t appear to be any guardrails around that process.”
The new rule comes months before another election in Georgia that is expected to be hotly contested. Georgia, which voted Republican for president in 2016 but Democratic in 2020, has become one of the battleground states in the November contest for the White House.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Georgia is rated “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report for the presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris in the Real Clear Politics polling average in Georgia, 47.8%-47%.