The Georgia Election Board has stirred up quite the storm with its decision to require election workers to hand count ballots in the upcoming November election, a move that’s sure to make waves across the political spectrum. In a bold move that no other state has dared to adopt, Georgia’s new rule will force election workers to manually verify that the hand-counted totals match those from the voting machines before the vote can be certified. It’s like asking people to double-check their homework — just with a whole lot more at stake.
This rule, which passed in a narrow 3–2 vote, is just the beginning. There are 10 more proposed regulations on the table, including one that would make absentee ballots visually distinct from others and another requiring poll workers to reconcile the number of ballots cast with the results from in-person scanners. Supporters of these new rules frame them as common-sense measures to improve election security, a nod to the growing distrust in the process. Advocates for the hand-count regulation, in particular, are confident it will help boost public trust by ensuring greater transparency.
But not everyone’s impressed. The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO) isn’t exactly thrilled about these changes. They argue the new rules are impractical, riddled with inefficiencies, and poorly thought out. In a letter dated September 17, GAVREO politely (or maybe not so politely) asked that the new rules be shelved until 2025. Their biggest gripe? The hand-count rule could cause more harm than good, potentially leading to delays, overworked staff, and — ironically — more errors. After all, who performs better when they’re tired and rushing to meet a deadline?
Even Georgia’s Attorney General, Chris Carr, raised his eyebrows at the new rules. He sent a letter just two days before the vote warning that several of these changes might conflict with current laws. Carr’s letter made it clear that the board could be overstepping its legal authority, particularly with the hand-count rule. His point? The statutes being cited don’t even support hand-counting ballots at the precinct level, so pushing through with this could lead to legal challenges and invalidation.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, no stranger to controversy himself, chimed in as well. He expressed concerns that these last-minute rule changes would cause more confusion than clarity on election night. Raffensperger didn’t mince words, pointing out that pushing these changes outside of the legislative process could undermine voter confidence and burden already overworked election workers.
All in all, Georgia’s bold move to implement hand-counting may be seen by some as a necessary step toward greater election integrity, but it’s clear that not everyone is on board. With legal challenges potentially looming and election officials already voicing their concerns, this is a story that’s far from over.
