New rules regarding election certification in Georgia to get test in court
Associated PressSep 18
Judge Rules Georgia Election Board Must Certify Election Results
Above: Lee County poll workers look for watermarks on voting paper during poll worker training in Leesburg, Georgia, on Oct. 2, 2024. Image copyright: Becca Milfeld/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Fulton County, Ga., Judge Robert McBurney ruled on Tuesday that local election boards cannot delay or decline the certification of results, writing that if they were "free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge," voters "would be silenced."
McBurney added that while election officials are allowed to investigate ballot counts, "any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Trump-aligned Republicans are already trying to meddle in the 2024 election, but thankfully, Judge McBurney has stepped in to uphold the law. As many election boards in states like Georgia are full of Trump supporters willing to do anything to win, it's more important than ever for the justice system to keep them at bay.
Republican narrative
There is a very good reason Republicans want tighter ballot certification rules, and it's the opposite of stealing elections. Democrats are openly pushing back against attempts to take non-US citizens off of voter rolls, which shows that they want illegal votes to be cast. With this in mind, the recent actions taken by local Republicans make a lot more sense.