Georgia Election Board's Hand Count Rule Sparks Controversy

Georgia's Republican-controlled election board has approved a new rule requiring a labor-intensive hand count of ballots in the upcoming November election. Voting rights advocates warn this could cause delays, introduce errors, and lead to challenges. The move is part of a series of changes by the board aimed at increasing election security.

Georgia's Republican-controlled election board voted on Friday to mandate a labor-intensive hand count of potentially millions of ballots in November, a decision that voting rights advocates say could cause delays, introduce errors, and create baseless challenges in the battleground state. The hand-count rule is the latest change passed by a pro-Trump majority of the board, aiming to make the Nov. 5 election more secure.

Voting rights groups argue the changes could empower rogue county election board members to delay or deny certification of election results, throwing Georgia's vote into chaos. The state is one of seven pivotal in the contest between Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

In the 2020 election, Trump lost Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes, a result he continues to claim was tainted by fraud, despite a lack of evidence. The hand-count rule, which passed in a 3-2 vote, was opposed by election administrators and poll workers, as well as both the Georgia secretary of state and attorney general's offices.

(With inputs from agencies.)