MACON, Ga. — Georgia's state election board is currently in the middle of a political uproar after approving several rule changes. Monday, national and state democrats filed a lawsuit challenging two of those changes.
Now they're calling on Governor Brian Kemp to remove the three GOP board members who backed the motion. The changes give election officials greater authority to delay certification of election results, meaning it could hold up the entire presidential election process.
There seems to be a bipartisan push to reconsider the changes. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger voiced concern about maintaining the reputation of Georgia's election integrity.
One rule allows county election officials to make a "reasonable inquiry" before certifying election results to the state. The other rule requires boards to investigate and explain inconsistencies between the number of ballots cast and the number of people who voted.
"With there being no requirement to certify the election results, I think from my perspective as a voter, how am I supposed to know that my vote counts if the results don't get certified or if there's no obligation to certify those results?" Houston County Democrats Chairwoman Kristen Kiefer said.
Some GOP voters, including Bibb County Republicans Chairman David Sumrall say the new rules are an additional safeguard and hope it'll boost voter confidence.
"I think it's a necessary change. I mean, we have been struggling for three years or so since the 2020 election and subsequent elections to improve the process to make the election integrity better," Sumrall said.
Nicholas Wimbish, a political science expert, holds an election administration certificate through Georgia College & State University. He says he worries the rule change allows any of Georgia's 159 county election boards to hold up results before they reach the governor for approval.
"Sounds to me though that some - after this this cycle of events in the last couple of days, in particular - that the state legislators ought to be looking into it," Wimbish said.
Wimbish said the new rules may be too vague, possibly allowing county boards to refuse to certify election results.
"We haven't seen that here in Georgia yet, but this rules change makes it a little, makes it a little bit easier to do that," Wimbish said.
Sumrall says strict deadlines will prevent any delays.
"I the certification deadline is still in place, what it does is allow problems to come to the surface quicker if there are problems," Sumrall said. " ... So it it doesn't delay the election, if anything, it speeds up the process for resolving any problems that have resulted from the election."
Kiefer said it could add work and costs for election staff.
"Some of these things that they're proposing may require our boards of elections to hire more staff and counties have already passed their budgets for this year," Kiefer said. "It's an incredible burden to do it this close to an election at the local level."