The Georgia State Election Board updated its voting rules and regulations ahead of January’s Senate runoff races.
The five-member board, led by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, extended two emergency rules regarding the use of secure, round-the-clock, monitored drop boxes and absentee mail-in voting, according to GPB, a local NPR affiliate. The drop box rule was approved in the spring and renewed in the summer but would’ve expired next month had the group not voted for an extension.
The other rule that was passed mandates counties to begin processing absentee ballots no later than the Monday before the election, giving them eight days to begin handling the ballots but not counting them. The existing rule permitted counties to do this but didn’t require it.
“The number of absentee ballot requests that we’re seeing for the runoff is large as well, so if we want results at any time quickly, I think we’re going to need to do this,” general counsel Ryan Germany said. “The last week before the election, it becomes mandatory to do processing and scanning.”
The group opted not to address a third issue pertaining to residency concerns. The third proposed rule would have pushed county officials to “review all available evidence” to determine whether a person who is registering to vote is in fact a Georgia resident, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Peach State will be the hotbed for politics over the next month and a half, with the Senate majority hanging in the balance. Republicans currently hold 50 Senate seats, while Democrats have 46, with two independents who caucus with them. If Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeat incumbent GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the Senate will be split 50-50, and a Vice President Kamala Harris would act as a tie-breaker if needed.
President-elect Joe Biden won the state’s 16 Electoral College votes during the initial count and was confirmed by a recount done by hand. A machine recount will be conducted as well, but a machine audit found no evidence of foul play.
Raffensperger and GOP Gov. Brian Kemp have been attacked by conservatives and members of the Trump campaign team as the campaign has filed lawsuits nationwide in an attempt to win states that have been called for Biden. The campaign alleges a widespread coordinated election fraud scheme, although the evidence has not been strong enough to win in the courtroom thus far.
