A Georgia judge struck down several rules recently passed by the State Elections Board (SEB) Wednesday, measures that were a subject of fierce debate between Trump and Harris surrogates in the key battleground.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox ruled the new provisions “illegal, unconstitutional and void” in an opinion released Wednesday evening, according to multiple outlets.
It comes hours after he weighed two lawsuits related to the rules, one led by the Georgia Democratic Party and a second by civil rights groups that included current and former GOP state officials.
One of the measures, a requirement for all ballots to be hand counted by three county election officials after they had been machine tabulated to ensure the totals match, has become a political lightening rod in recent weeks.
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That rule was temporarily blocked in a separate ruling Tuesday night challenging the SEB’s new measures. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney did not take issue with the rule’s intent but argued it would be untenable at this late stage.
Cox’s ruling invalidates that measure, while also invalidating a rule directing county officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results and giving them the ability “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections.”
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Cox also blocked new signature and photo ID requirements for people dropping off absentee ballots for others.
The rules were passed last month in a 3-2 vote by the Republican majority on the elections board.
Democrats had accused the GOP officials of trying to sow doubt and chaos in the election process, while supporters of the rule changes said they were necessary guardrails…
