(The Center Square) – The Democratic National Committee is joining others in opposition to new rules approved by the Georgia State Election Board just before the November 2024 primary.
The amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of Georgia focuses on two of the rules. One is a required hand count of ballots. The other rule in contention would allow a “reasonable inquiry” into the result.
The rules were halted by the state Supreme Court in October, but the appeal is still ongoing.
Democrats said in the brief that both rules exceed the board’s statutory authority.
“To the great annoyance of MAGA Republicans in Georgia, the DNC is making it clear: there are no off-days when it comes to protecting democracy,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin. “Politicians don’t decide our elections – voters do. As Republican officials in Georgia have made clear, these new rules were made up by Republicans in the run-up to November’s election and don’t make our elections fairer or stronger, they are an attempt to sow distrust in our elections.”
The reasonable inquiry rule could delay the certification of election results, according to the brief.
“The rule does not define ‘reasonable inquiry,’ which fosters confusion about whether and when election officials must certify election results,” read the brief, provided by the Democratic National Committee. “The rule is thus contrary to the Election Code’s clear mandate that the election officials must certify by the statutorily prescribed deadline.”
The Democrats join an interesting mix of plaintiffs seeking to stop the laws. Eternal Vigilance Action, led by former Republican state Rep. Scot Turner, filed the initial action against the Republican National Committee. The group is described as a “right-of-center Georgia-based advocacy group that advocates for ranked choice voting and for more lenient criminal sentencing, among other issues” on its website.
The American Civil Liberties Union is also challenging the rules.
A tentative argument date is scheduled for March 19, according to court records.