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ATLANTA – Republican lawmakers in Georgia have launched a process that could lead to a resumption of elections in the state’s most populous county.
Many GOP members continue to claim that wrongdoing in Democratic Fulton County stole the 2020 election from Donald Trump, even though an independent observer found no evidence of fraud or impropriety.
Lawmakers are using a tool created by the state’s sweeping new election law to influence local elections. Democrats and voting rights advocates denounce the takeover provision as an invitation to political interference. The county, with about 11% of the state’s electorate, includes most of the city of Atlanta.
But Fulton County has been plagued by problems for years and Republicans say it’s time to find answers. State House Pro President Tem Jan Jones and four other state officials from the GOP whose districts include parts of Fulton submitted a letter to the State Election Board on Friday demanding a review of the registration and election board performance County.
“I wrote the letter as a representative of constituents who expressed concerns about the sloppy way the elections were conducted in Fulton County in 2020 and in the years leading up to it,” Jones said Friday. , which represents a district in the northern suburbs of Fulton. .
Three Republican senators representing parts of Fulton, along with 24 other GOP senators, sent a slightly different letter this week.
“People deserve better and I want to see a full review and a plan for improvement,” Sen. John Albers, also from North Fulton, wrote in an email Friday.
Rebecca Galanti, spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party, called the takeover effort a “shameless Republican takeover designed to suppress voters and inject partisan politics into our elections.”
Under the law Georgia Republicans passed this year, the letters could cause the state’s electoral council to remove Fulton’s five-member electoral council. But there remains uncertainty about how the process would work.
“Critics allege it allows the board to take over boards and alter election results, but there’s a lot of due process built into that,” said Matt Mashburn, member. of the state electoral commission. .
GOP Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have expressed support, even though the new law removed Raffensperger’s vote from the State Election Council.
“I appreciate that the General Assembly is finally supporting my movement that something needs to be done in Fulton County,” Raffensperger said. He has vigorously defended the results of the 2020 Georgia election, but rarely misses an opportunity to criticize Fulton.
Mallory Blount, spokesperson for Kemp, said Fulton’s board of directors exhibited “mismanagement and incompetence”.
“This review process will hopefully provide greater transparency, ensure local accountability and restore voter confidence,” said Blount.
Raffensperger and Kemp have both received harsh criticism from Trump, who claims Georgia’s 16 electoral votes were stolen from him. Both face major GOP 2022 challenges from candidates echoing those criticisms, with Trump endorsing challenger Raffensperger and U.S. Representative Jody Hice.
There could be procedural hiccups. The senators’ letter calls for a review from a council employee, Fulton County Chief Electoral Officer Richard Barron.
Jones, Albers and others say the Senate letter is enough to get the process started. Mashburn declined to comment. Sara Tindal Ghazal, the only Democrat appointed to the state council, says she has questions.
“We are not responsible for hiring and firing county staff,” she said.
Under the new law, the state electoral council must initiate a preliminary investigation and hold a hearing within 90 days of the request. The state council could suspend the county council if it finds that county officials have violated the law or state electoral rules three times since 2018 and failed to correct the violations. He could also withdraw the county council if he finds that in at least two elections over two years the council has shown “inaction, malfeasance or gross negligence”.
The State Election Council, currently with a 3-1 Republican majority, would appoint a temporary administrator to hold Fulton’s election if it finds any wrongdoing. The departmental council could request his reinstatement. If the Council of State refuses, its administrator would remain in place for at least nine months.
The state council must establish rules for the process.
Mashburn said Fulton has done “great things,” but said that since he started working in electoral law in 1988, “Fulton has been the problem, in every election. “
Mashburn called Fulton’s long lines in the June 2020 primary election a “watershed moment.” The county has spent millions to alleviate these problems.
The State Election Council entered into a consent order with the county to make changes to the general election, appointing independent comptroller Carter Jones.
After observing from October to January, Jones wrote that he had witnessed “botched processes” and “systemic disorganization” but had seen “no illegalities, fraud or intentional malfeasance.” He concluded that major changes and a managerial reshuffle were needed.
Democrats say Jones’ findings prove Fulton’s problems do not deserve a takeover.
“We already have a report from the handpicked consultant from the Secretary of State saying there was no wrongdoing,” Tindal Ghazal said.
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts, a Democrat, blames Trump and warns of Republicans’ efforts to overturn Fulton County elections in 2022 and 2024.
“I won’t let them get away with this unopposed circus,” Pitts said in a statement Friday. “We are exploring all the legal options that are on the table and I hope we prevail against these attacks which look more like political theater than good governance.”
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