Georgia Supreme Court Rejects GOP Push for Hand Count of Votes

Voting rights advocates on Tuesday cheered the Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous decision to reject Republican efforts to require a hand count of votes and another rule that could delay certification of the results for the November 5 election.

After Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney last week struck down the State Election Board's (SEB) hand-count policy and ruled that local election officials must certify results regardless of their beliefs that "voter fraud" has taken place, the Republican National Committee and Georgia GOP sought an expedited appeal before Election Day.

"The high court's one-page order leaves in place a Fulton County judge's ruling last week that seven new election rules are 'illegal, unconstitutional, and void,'" The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionreported Tuesday. "The order noted the appeal can proceed on a normal schedule."

Although Republican attacks on voting rights in the state persist, advocates still celebrated what Democracy Docket called "a win for voters."

Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said that "with this ruling, the court keeps the status quo in place, refusing to allow the SEB to inject chaos and confusion into our democratic system."

"We are excited about the record early voting numbers in Georgia and glad that now all can focus on participating in this important election without disruption," Young added.

Georgia is just one of several states where early voting is already underway and was a key focus of former Republican President Donald Trump's attempt to reverse his 2020 loss. Trump—who faces a criminal case in Fulton County over his "Big Lie" efforts during the last cycle—is now the Republican nominee running against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.