The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sued the Georgia Election Board on Monday to block its plan to mandate a hand count of ballots in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. The DNC argued that this move could delay the reporting of results and create chaos.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s allies on the Election Board approved the rule change in a 3-2 vote, requiring poll workers to hand count ballots to ensure they match machine totals.
In its petition filed in Fulton County court, the DNC warned that the new rule would cause “significant delays” in reporting vote totals and “wreak havoc” on the election process.
DNC acting Co-Executive Director Monica Guardiola called the rule “a blatant attempt by Donald Trump and his MAGA lackeys on the Georgia State Election Board to cast doubt on our elections and undermine the outcome.”
The Georgia Election Board did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This lawsuit joins a series of election-related legal challenges filed by both Democrats and Republicans ahead of the Nov. 5 contest between former President Trump and Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Polls indicate a tight race between the two, with Georgia and six other competitive states playing a decisive role. These battleground states have seen intense litigation over voting rules.
In August, Democrats also sued the Georgia Election Board over controversial rule changes that give local election officials more power to investigate results before certifying them. Democrats claim these changes are intended to create delays and uncertainty. A trial for that case is set to begin Tuesday in Atlanta.
