Civil and voting rights groups have filed a “friend of the court” brief in a lawsuit challenging two rules changes the State Election Board adopted in recent weeks.
The ACLU of Georgia, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law argue the changes threaten to upend Georgia’s longstanding mandatory election certification rules and disenfranchise Georgia voters. The three Republicans on the five-member board approved rules changes allowing local election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results if they suspect election fraud as well as “examine all election-related documentation created during the conducting of elections prior to certification of results.”
The lawsuit contends Republicans could use the new rules so close to the November elections to cast doubt on Georgia’s election results, potentially setting the stage for former President Donald Trump to be declared the winner of the Peach State’s 16 electoral votes, even if Vice President Kamala Harris has won more votes.
