Pro-Trump election board members approve rule to hand count votes in Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia - Election officials in Georgia recently approved a new rule that will require poll workers to hand count election ballots in an effort to quell Donald Trump's unfounded stolen election claims.

On Friday, Donald Trump's allies in the Georgia State Election Board approved a rule to require counties to hand count votes on election night.
On Friday, Donald Trump's allies in the Georgia State Election Board approved a rule to require counties to hand count votes on election night.  © Brendan Smialowski / AFP

According to CNN, the Georgia State Election Board voted 3-2 on Friday in favor of the rule, despite officials on both sides of the political aisle arguing against it.

Many have warned that such requirements put unnecessary strain on already struggling election officials and poll workers, and attempting to implement the rule so close to election day could spur confusion or misinformation.

Republican critics, in particular, have also warned that the ruling could be struck down if it was challenged in court.

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Trump and his allies have been arguing for years that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him, though no legitimate evidence has been provided to back up the claim.

Controversial hand-counting measure is approved in Georgia

Janelle King, one of the three pro-Trump board members who voted in favor of the rule, argues that "a few adjustments" to the "status quo" are necessary.

"Unfortunately, a few bad apples, a few miscounts here or there, a few double counts, lead to an overshadowing of the great work that many of our election board offices are doing time and time again," King explained.

Other critics have also argued that if Trump loses the election in November, he will be able to point to the new rule to once again question the legitimacy of the results.

Cover photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP

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