A Georgia judge has overturned several controversial election rules, asserting that the Pro-Trump GOP-majority Georgia Election Board does not have the authority to enforce them.
What Happened: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox Jr. ordered the rejection of seven rules, including the requirement for hand-counted ballots by precinct, ahead of the November elections, as reported by The Hill.
Judge Cox stated in his ruling that the Georgia Election Board “has no constitutional authority to promulgate these rules.” He added that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the State Board Election from enacting election rules concerning the election of federal officers.
The Georgia Election Board has been under fire for passing controversial rules months before the election. Even some of the state’s top Republicans have expressed concern over some of the rulemaking, particularly the hand-count law.
The rules and Cox’s recent decision are particularly significant as Georgia is among a few battleground states that will decide if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris return to the White House. Trump won Georgia in 2016 but lost it to President Biden in 2020.
Why It Matters: The decision comes at a critical time as the race for the White House has become too close for comfort. Vice President Harris led her Republican rival Trump by merely a point in a recent poll. The same report also highlighted that battleground states favor the ex-president, making the Georgia ruling even more significant.
Harris’ lead over Trump has been shrinking, with less than one month until the 2024 presidential election. The Georgia ruling could potentially impact the election outcome, given the state’s pivotal role in the electoral landscape.
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