GA Election Board Votes New Certification Rule into Practice

In the past, the certification of votes has been an easy and rarely disputed job of the local boards of the state. However, a recent rule has stated that board members now have the option to dispute the validity of these votes and refuse to certify them. 

Certifying an election is a mandatory step of every election in an attempt to cut down on partisan interference with elections. Certification does not take place until after the election has been confirmed and verified many times. Its purpose is not to dispute the validity of the election, or raise an issue with the ways the election was conducted, but rather to certify that the election was verified. 

The Georgia State Election Board voted against a similar rule in May, arguing that it violates both federal and state law. This new rule has made few changes since then but passed 3-2, with the only opposing votes being the democrat and non partisan board members. 

In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won in Georgia by only 0.2%, the smallest margin in the country, and the first time in three decades a democrat for carried the state. Because the margin was so slight, Georgia conducted a recount, confirming the win.  In this year’s election, Georgia is a very important swing state again. This new rule incites the fear that the partisan members of The Georgia State Election Board could refuse to certify any election results that contradict their personal beliefs. 

“They’re on fire. They’re doing a great job,” says former president Donald Trump about the members of the board that voted to instate this new rule. He also went on to mention them by name, empowering them to continue to fight for “honesty, transparency, and victory.”