Georgia board to tap election review panel for Fulton County

FILE – In this Jan. 5, 2021 record photo, Fulton County Georgia elections workers process absentee ballots for the Senate runoff predetermination successful Atlanta. The Georgia State Board of Elections plans to name a reappraisal sheet this week arsenic portion of a process that could pb to a takeover of elections successful the state’s astir populous region nether a proviso successful the state’s sweeping caller predetermination law. Republican lawmakers cited the caller instrumentality erstwhile they asked the authorities committee past period to name the show reappraisal committee to analyse Fulton County’s handling of elections. The committee plans to name the sheet during its gathering Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)

The GOP lawmakers seeking the reappraisal accidental they are acrophobic astir sloppiness successful the medication of the county’s elections and privation a reappraisal committee to measure whether section officials person been complying with authorities voting laws and regulations.

Democrats and voting rights activists person said the caller takeover proviso successful authorities instrumentality leaves the doorway unfastened for governmental interference successful the electoral process and could let suppression of votes. They’ve said the region conducted a palmy predetermination past twelvemonth and the reappraisal is unnecessary.

Under the caller law, lawmakers who correspond a fixed region whitethorn petition a reappraisal of section predetermination officials, defined successful the instrumentality arsenic the predetermination superintendent. In Fulton County, that’s the region committee of registration and elections.

Once the State Election Board receives specified a request, it has to name a reappraisal committee wrong 30 days. The reappraisal committee is to beryllium composed of “three competent persons,” including an worker of the elections part of the caput of state’s bureau and 2 “local predetermination officials.”

The reappraisal committee is tasked with conducting a implicit and thorough probe into the competency successful the attraction and cognition of predetermination equipment, the medication and oversight of registration and elections and compliance with authorities instrumentality and regulations. Then the committee is to contented a study with evaluations and recommendations.

The probe is to beryllium followed by a preliminary proceeding wrong 90 days of the receipt of the archetypal request. During that preliminary hearing, the State Election Board is to determine whether the substance should beryllium dismissed oregon whether it should proceed to a afloat hearing.

The authorities committee could suspend the region committee if it finds grounds region officials violated authorities predetermination instrumentality oregon rules 3 times since 2018 and person not fixed violations. It could besides region the region committee if it finds that during astatine slightest 2 elections implicit 2 years the committee has shown “nonfeasance, malfeasance, oregon gross negligence.”

The State Election Board, presently with a 3-1 Republican majority, would name a impermanent head to tally Fulton County elections if it finds wrongdoing. The region committee could question reinstatement. If the authorities committee refuses, its head would stay successful spot for astatine slightest 9 months. The head would person the authorization to marque immoderate unit changes related to moving elections, including replacing the manager of elections and each canvass officers.

The authorities committee besides is charged with mounting rules for the process. Once the rules are proposed, they volition beryllium taxable to a nationalist remark play earlier they tin beryllium adopted.

Fulton County has a agelong past of predetermination problems and has been a favourite punching container for Republicans. The county’s superior predetermination past twelvemonth was marred by problems, including hourslong lines and absentee ballots that were requested and ne'er received.

County officials acknowledged the problems, but said galore of the astir superior issues were related to the coronavirus pandemic. They spent millions of dollars and made changes up of the wide predetermination successful November to guarantee a smoother performance. An autarkic show was besides appointed arsenic portion of a consent bid reached entered into by the region and the State Election Board.

That monitor, Carter Jones, observed Fulton County’s predetermination processes from October done January. He wrote that helium witnessed “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but did not spot “any illegality, fraud oregon intentional malfeasance.” He concluded large changes and a managerial shakeup were needed.

While Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has vigorously defended the integrity of the state’s predetermination results, helium has often criticized Fulton County and has repeatedly called for the firing of the region elections manager Rick Barron and registration main Ralph Jones.

Barron survived the region predetermination board’s effort earlier this twelvemonth to occurrence him aft the region board of commissioners rejected the predetermination board’s recommendation. In a missive dated July 16, Ralph Jones announced his resignation arsenic registration chief, effectual Aug. 6.