The Georgia State Election Board voted 3-2 on Friday to mandate the hand-counting of ballots in addition to machine tallies for the 2024 election.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

MORE NEWS: Inspired by Trump Shooting, Former NFL Star Enters Arizona House Race

The decision, driven by the Republican majority on the board, has sparked both praise and criticism, with supporters hailing it as a step toward greater election transparency, while opponents warn it could lead to significant delays and potential errors.

The new rule, which requires all ballots in Georgia to be hand-counted by election workers on the night of November 5, adds a layer of scrutiny to the vote-counting process in one of the nation’s most critical swing states.

The rule was celebrated by allies of former President Donald Trump, who have long raised concerns about the integrity of the 2020 election, particularly in Georgia, where Joe Biden won by a narrow margin.

Volunteers assist at a phone bank to help re-elect former president Donald Trump on Sept. 5, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. Georgia has become a key swing state in the last several elections, flipping blue in the 2020 presidential election for the first time since 1992. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have been investing resources into their campaigns on the ground in places like Richmond County, which leans blue but maintains a few conservative pockets.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Do you support the tariffs that President Trump is imposing on other countries?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Proponents of the rule, including Trump supporters, argue that it will restore faith in the election process. Liz Harrington, a former Trump spokeswoman, expressed enthusiasm on social media following the board’s vote. “GREAT NEWS!” she wrote. “HAND COUNT at precinct level to ensure the totals match with the machines. This is a HUGE win and was opposed by the Fake News, the Left, and Raffensperger.”

MORE NEWS: Democrats Flying to El Salvador in Support of MS-13 Gang Banger Get a New Nickname

Trump himself has continued to question the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, where allegations of voter irregularities were hotly debated.

The hand-counting measure is seen by many Trump supporters as a way to ensure that machine errors or tampering do not affect the final outcome of the election.

Close

However, the decision has also faced criticism from election officials, legal experts, and some Republican leaders, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of Georgia, responds to a question about a statement he made, about the possible rule changes to elections in his state, during Ballots and Battlegrounds, the first-of-its-kind forum on safeguards in the election process at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.

Opponents warn that the hand-counting rule could result in extended delays in reporting election results and introduce the possibility of human error.

Raffensperger, who oversaw Georgia’s election process in 2020 and defended the integrity of that election, expressed concerns about the impact the rule could have on the timely reporting of results. “Everything that we’ve done for the last six years has been to speed up the process to give the voters the results quicker, and all of a sudden now they’re adding an element that it’s actually going to take longer,” Raffensperger said in an interview with NBC News.

In addition to Raffensperger’s concerns, the office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued a memo to election board members, stating that the new rule may lack a legal foundation.

MORE NEWS: ‘The View’ Host Panics Over Conservative Pope Talk—“Terrifying” Prospect [WATCH]

The memo noted that state law does not explicitly permit hand-counting of ballots at precincts before they are delivered to county election superintendents for official tallying, arguing that the rule could be considered an overreach of the board’s authority.

“The new rule is not tethered to any statute,” the memo stated, adding that it could represent “precisely the kind of impermissible legislation that agencies cannot do.”

Critics also fear that the hand-counting requirement could open the door to further litigation.

Opponents cited federal court precedents that discourage significant rule changes within 90 days of an election, warning that the rule could provide grounds for legal challenges or delays in certifying election results.

Election officials in Georgia have voiced strong opposition to the rule, citing concerns about the logistical challenges of hand-counting ballots. During the 2020 election, Georgia conducted a statewide hand recount, which took weeks to complete and delayed the certification of results until November 20, nearly three weeks after Election Day.

MORE NEWS: Linda McMahon Confirms Harvard, Columbia Talks Amid Trump Administration Funding Freeze

Bartow County elections chief Joseph Kirk warned that requiring poll workers to hand-count ballots could lead to honest mistakes that could undermine public confidence. “Requiring poll workers to hand-count ballots … will do nothing more than provide exhausted patriots with an opportunity to undermine public confidence through an honest mistake,” Kirk said.

Other election officials, like Ethan Compton, emphasized the timing of the decision, arguing that it is too late to implement such significant changes to the election process. “This is not the time to change the rules,” Compton said, referring to the fast-approaching 2024 election.

Despite these concerns, Sharlene Alexander of Fayette County argued that the hand-counting rule would improve transparency by providing a means to verify machine tallies.

Supporters believe that ensuring a match between hand counts and machine results will strengthen voter confidence.

The hand-counting rule is not the only recent election-related change in Georgia facing legal scrutiny. An October 1 trial is set to address separate rule changes made by the board in recent months.

MORE NEWS: 3 HS Seniors, State Diving Champion Were Horrifically Killed in Florida Spring Break Car Crash

These include a “reasonable inquiry rule,” which requires vote certification only after a thorough review to ensure the accuracy of the vote tabulation, and an “examination rule,” allowing election board members to review election documentation before certifying results.

The Democratic National Committee, along with other plaintiffs, has filed a lawsuit challenging these rules, arguing that they could lead to delays and confusion in the postelection process.

The trial will be live-streamed, drawing national attention to Georgia’s evolving election landscape ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Former President Trump and his supporters have continued to focus on Georgia as a key battleground in their efforts to address what they see as election irregularities.

During the 2020 election, Georgia became a flashpoint for Trump’s legal challenges, particularly in Fulton County, where allegations of absentee ballot mishandling and late counting fueled claims and suspicions.

Former President Donald J. Trump speaks during a rally in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. Trump spoke about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the 2020 election results in the state.

A video from Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, showing election workers processing ballots after poll watchers had been dismissed, became a focal point of controversy for Trump supporters.

Although Georgia election officials, including Raffensperger, maintained that the process was legitimate, many Trump supporters remain unconvinced.

Despite a hand recount and a machine recount that ultimately confirmed Biden’s victory in Georgia by a margin of about 12,000 votes, questions about the integrity of the state’s election process persist among Trump’s base.

The decision to implement hand-counting in the 2024 election is seen by many as a way to address these lingering concerns and ensure greater transparency moving forward.

As the 2024 election approaches, Georgia remains a critical state to watch, with the potential for continued legal battles and political controversy surrounding its election procedures.

Whether the hand-counting rule will bolster confidence in the election process or lead to further challenges and delays remains to be seen.

Watch the full Georgia State Election Board meeting below:

 

Connect with Vetted Off-Duty Cops to Instantly Fulfill Your Security Needs

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.