In a heated development over the weekend, four counties in Georgia—Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett—decided to extend election office hours and accept absentee ballots beyond the legally designated period. This last-minute move has sparked accusations of election law violations and has led to a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC). RNC Chairman Michael Whatley announced that Republican poll watchers were initially barred from observing the ballot intake process in these counties, igniting further controversy.
“Following our pressure campaign, our poll watchers have now been let into the building in all four Georgia counties,” Whatley said on Saturday afternoon.
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The counties reportedly resisted allowing GOP poll observers, with an email from Fulton County’s Registration Manager stating, “Do not let them in the building. If they want to observe from the parking lot, you can’t stop that, but they are not allowed to sit in the building.”
According to the Georgia Republican Party, the decision to extend hours for ballot collection defies state regulations that stipulate all drop boxes be closed at the end of the advance voting period. The RNC’s swift response included filing a lawsuit against these counties for extending office hours and allowing absentee ballots to be accepted after the official period ended, which the GOP claims violates Georgia election law.
