Georgia’s Supreme Court rejected a Republican-led effort to implement more than half a dozen controversial new election rules before Election Day.
In a brief order issued Tuesday, the court declined to reinstate the seven new rules approved by the State Election Board, and declined to consider an expedited appeal — effectively ending the effort to get the new rules in place in time for the upcoming election.
A lower level Georgia judge on Oct. 16 declared the rules “illegal, unconstitutional and void.” The rules, which include one that requires ballots to be hand-counted and two related to certification of results, were supported by three of the State Election Board’s five members, all of whom were endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
President Biden defeated Trump in the state in 2020, and Trump has since repeated disproven claims that fraud cost him the election.
The new rules were opposed by not just Democrats, but also state Republican officials who cast doubt on whether they were legal. They said a hand count could delay election results, and argued in court that it was too late to properly train election workers on the new responsibilities.
Other rules passed by the board — include one that would have required county officials “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections,” a potentially laborious process — and another that would have required them to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results. That rule did not explain what a “reasonable inquiry” entails.
The Georgia Supreme Court didn’t outright reject the appeal. In the order Tuesday, the court said it is declining to fast forward proceedings.
“When the appeal is docketed in this court, it will proceed in the ordinary course,” the justices wrote.