Fulton County in Georgia has filed a lawsuit against the Georgia State Elections Board regarding a dispute over election monitoring. The county board filed the lawsuit on Monday, claiming that the state board does not have the authority to force them to accept and pay for additional monitors hand-picked by certain State Election Board members for the 2024 election.
In response, the Georgia State Elections board voted 3-2 to subpoena a trove of 2020 election documents from the Fulton County clerk of court. This legal battle stems from the State Election Board finding that the county violated parts of the state election code in May and issuing a letter of reprimand with instructions for an agreement on a mutually acceptable monitor to be reached by August.
However, the county and state election boards have not been able to come to an agreement. The county supports a team proposed by Ryan Germany and the Carter Center, while the State Election Board has proposed an alternative slate that includes individuals who questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.
An opinion from the state Attorney General Chris Carr stated that final decisions of the State Election Board are binding, while Fulton County attorneys believe the case is closed following the reprimand in May. The Republican majority on the State Election Board has expressed disapproval of the county’s team but the county board has stood by its selection.
This legal battle follows a recent controversial decision by the Georgia State Election Board to require poll workers to count the number of paper ballots by hand after voting is completed, a decision that was met with opposition from the state attorney general’s office and the secretary of state’s office but supported by many conservatives.
The ongoing dispute between Fulton County and the Georgia State Elections Board highlights the challenges faced in ensuring election integrity and monitoring procedures. The legal implications and differing opinions on the matter continue to be a point of contention between the two entities, with the outcome of the lawsuit and future monitoring processes remaining uncertain.