Recently, major concerns have been brewing in Georgia in the realm of election administration. The State Election Board, dominated by Republicans, has imposed new regulations that many Election Supervisors claim will undermine the security of the electoral process and increase the complexity of their roles.
At a convention in the quaint city of Forsyth, Georgia, numerous election officers from various counties voiced their frustrations towards the State Election Board. They argued that the changes introduced by the board have instilled an unsettling amount of uncertainty into the democratic system at a critical juncture – mere moments before the November election.
Anne Dover, the Elections Director for Cherokee County, located north of Atlanta, has expressed deep concern about the new rules. She highlights the contradiction in some of them vis-a-vis the state law, and the predicament it puts local authorities in. In her words, ‘If you write a rule that goes against the law, then are you going to turn me in to the Attorney General when I break your rule? I’m inclined to violate a rule before I transgress against the law’
Following the tumultuous events of 2020, the task of conducting elections has become increasingly complicated, with state and local officials having to grapple with ardent political activism, foreign interference, and threats to their personal safety. The situation is especially heightened in Georgia, where the State Election Board seems to be lending an ear to the policy ideas of former President Donald J. Trump and his allies.
Recently, the Democrat-linked lawsuit against the board alerting that the new election certification rules could result in absolute confusion has turned quite a few heads. Interestingly, the Republican Secretary of State in Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, is also less than pleased with the board’s sudden and hasty decision to introduce new regulations so close to the upcoming election. He openly stated to the press ‘The Georgia state election board is disorganized.’
The Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials in Georgia, an organization representing in excess of 500 local functionaries, has written to the State Election Board requesting them to cease the implementation of any more regulations. They warned that these new rules ‘may cause waning of public faith in the electoral process and impose unnecessary strain’ on the officials in charge. Seems like even the experienced officials of Georgia find it difficult to come to terms with these rushed changes.
The main contention lies in the measures allocating extensive authority to the local officials for conducting ‘reasonable inquiries’ into elections and requiring them to procure ‘all election-related documentation’ preceding certification. Critics argue that these rules misrepresent the level of discretionary power bestowed on local election officials concerning certification of election results. There’s growing apprehension about more such unpredictable rules sprouting from the board in September.
State Election Board officials who gave the green light to these new regulations didn’t take the time to address these concerns when asked for comments, raising further doubts about their intentions.
The local election officials have already started experiencing the repercussions of these sudden changes. The larger counties, which had already trained their polling staff, will now have to reschedule and retrain their workforce, and the possibility of even more alterations can potentially further muddle the situation.
Jenni Phipps, the Election Director of Walton County, located to the east of Atlanta, said, ‘We’ve trained our polling staff once and now, with the change of rules, we have to redo some parts of the training.’ Unfortunately, this chaos is likely to persist considering there’s still room for changes.
Red tape and regulations aside, on-ground realities also look grim for the election officials. Rock Carter, the Assistant Elections Supervisor in Camden County, positioned at the southeastern section of the state, voiced concerns about dealing with individuals who may try to disrupt the certification of elections. This sentiment of apprehension isn’t just resonating with the election officials and workers, but is also seeping into the minds of the public who come to observe the certification process.
Several election officials angled their criticism toward the board members for approving these new rules despite having limited experience in conducting elections. The conservative majority board comprises a former elected office holder, a podcaster, and a doctor. No seasoned election officials in sight.
The very thought of a tumultuous Election Day in Georgia isn’t just a remote possibility anymore. Ronda Walthour, the Elections Supervisor of Liberty County, located south of Savannah, expressed surprise over the relentless wave of adversarial mailings and commented, ‘At this point in time, we just take it day by day.’
Aside from professional challenges, election officials are also facing extraordinary personal threats. As revealed by Mr. Raffensperger in a speech, some local election booths in Georgia have had to equip themselves with cans of Narcan, a commonly used medication for reversing the effects of drug overdoses, following a wave of threatening letters.
As observed by Deidre Holden, the Election Supervisor in Paulding County, in the northwestern region of Georgia, ‘We have to stay alert and aware of our surroundings, not just for our safety, but also for the safety of our voters and employees.’ The changes are not just physical or procedural, but they also affect the entire atmosphere and the mental state of the officials.