Georgia's New Hand Count Rule Sparks Controversy Ahead of November Election

Georgia's state election board, controlled by Republicans, passed a rule requiring a hand count of ballots for November's election. This move, unique in the U.S., is criticized by voting rights advocates for potential delays and errors. The rule is part of broader election changes contested by civil rights groups and Democrats.

In a contentious Friday vote, Georgia's Republican-led state election board mandated a laborious hand count of potentially millions of ballots for November's election. Voting rights advocates argue that this unprecedented requirement could lead to delays, errors, and baseless challenges to the election results.

The hand count rule, narrowly approved in a 3-2 vote, sets Georgia apart as the only U.S. state to incorporate such a measure in its regular vote tabulation process. According to Gowri Ramachandran, director of elections and security at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning public policy institute, this change introduces significant new complexities.

Georgia, one of seven critical battleground states likely to decide the Nov. 5 presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, has seen numerous election law changes by its five-member board, dominated by three conservatives lauded by Trump. Civil rights organizations warn that these modifications could enable rogue county election officials to delay or dispute the certification of results, leading to electoral chaos. Democrats have initiated a lawsuit challenging two certification rules, with a non-jury trial set for October 1.

(With inputs from agencies.)