Anika Begay
A new rule in Georgia could allow some local election boards to refuse to certify results, raising concerns ahead of November’s election in the crucial state.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
A new rule in Georgia could allow some local election boards to refuse to certify results, raising concerns ahead of a crucial November election. WABE’s Sam Gringlas reports from Atlanta.
SAM GRINGLAS, BYLINE: Certifying an election is usually simple. Local boards confirm that the number of voters who cast their ballots equals the vote total. But when it came to certifying the May primary in Fulton County, one board member balked.
(ARCHIVED RECORDING SOUND)
JULIE ADAMS: It’s time to fix the problems in our elections by ensuring compliance with the law, transparency, accuracy and results.
GRINGLAS: Rep. Julie Adams said she didn’t have enough information to verify the count herself. Her colleagues contradicted her, but Adams is one of several local officials in Georgia who have declined to certify the results this year. That number could rise. The new state rule allows local commissions to conduct reasonable investigations before certifying the results. That’s Janelle King, a Republican member of the state commission.
JANELLE KING: If you were to ask a county elections worker to sign a legal document stating that this is accurate, when in fact they could see that there are discrepancies, then we are setting them up for failure.
GRINGLAS: But some election experts worry that a local board member could refuse to certify if they say they are incompetent to conduct that investigation or say it has uncovered problems. The secretary of state says refusing to certify would conflict with state law. Sara Tindall Ghazal, the state board’s lone Democrat, says it’s not surprising her colleagues would approve such a rule. Traditional Republican lawyers have been replaced by more activist appointees driven by no-confidence in recent elections.
SARA TINDALL GHAZAL: All of our decisions have been driven by our interpretation and application of the law, which will not always be the same. Lawyers are always at odds. Slowly but surely, the composition has changed.
GRINGLAS: That shift was highlighted when former President Trump praised the three council members at a rally.
(ARCHIVED RECORDING SOUND)
DONALD TRUMP: They are on fire. They are doing a great job. Three members – Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares and Janelle King – three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory. They are fighting.
GHAZAL: When partisans openly exult that their candidates will lead them to victory, it undermines public confidence in the process.
GRINGLAS: Democrat Sara Tindall Ghazal again. Her Republican colleague Janelle King disagrees.
KING: I don’t make decisions based on which side of the fence wants me to do something. I look at the facts. I look at what’s in front of me.
GRINGLAS: Since 2020, attempts have emerged to block certification in swing states like Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Those efforts have failed when state officials or courts have intervened. But Lauren Miller Karalunas of the Brennan Center says these moves are still causing harm.
LAUREN MILLER KARALUNAS: Even if these denials aren’t successful, every time someone refuses to certify or stops certifying, it increases distrust, while false information already fuels threats and harassment against election officials.
GRINGLAS: And the delays could create even more disruption in a presidential election, when officials also face tight Electoral College deadlines.
For NPR News, this is Sam Gringlas in Atlanta.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Please visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for more information.
NPR transcripts are created on a time-sensitive basis by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR programming is the audio recording.
