Georgia election board hands election deniers a win

 

Friday, Aug. 9

Georgia’s election board passed a new rule that could further embolden election deniers in the state — with Trump’s approval. Trump’s campaign suffers a loss in a challenge to Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline. And Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz makes his debut as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

New Georgia rule that could delay certification raises alarm

All eyes were on Georgia during the 2020 presidential race, and this year won’t be much different as Republicans work to ensure the 2024 election will be another contentious battle. The Georgia State Election Board voted this week to pass a new rule that could potentially delay the certification of the election. The rule says the board can only certify an election “after reasonable inquiry that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate and that the results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in that election.” The rule passed with support from three Republican members, all of whom were lauded by former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday. But Trump’s praise is a troubling sign. The new policy could give election deniers an opening to challenge results based on questionable allegations of fraud. “MAGA may have hijacked the Republican Party, but they will not hijack our [elections] process,” said Georgia state Rep. Inga Willis, a Democrat who denounced the rule on Tuesday. “This election is not about one candidate and their desired outcome. This election is about we the people.” Read more about Georgia’s new election rule.

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Trump campaign, RNC lose bid to block Nevada ballot deadline

Republicans’ continued assault on mail-in voting suffered a loss in Nevada, after a judge denied the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee’s (RNC) bid to temporarily block the state from counting certain ballots that don’t have a postmark. Nevada law permits counties to count ballots without a postmark received up to three days after Election Day and ballots that are postmarked up to four days after Election Day. The Trump campaign and the RNC alleged the policy unfairly dilutes legally cast votes and disproportionately harms Republicans who vote by mail less than Democrats. The court denied Republicans’ request to block the counting of non postmarked ballots received after Election Day. But the lawsuit is ongoing, and is among at least nine anti-voting lawsuits spearheaded by the RNC, according to Democracy Docket’s case database. In Mississippi, the RNC recently appealed a lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s mail-in ballot receipt deadline, days after a Republican-appointed federal judge dismissed the case. Read more on that lawsuit and the case in Nevada.

The anticipation is over: Walz is Harris’s new running mate

After weeks of speculation, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a progressive-leaning Democrat with a strong record on voting rights, will run as her vice president. Walz and Harris have both emphasized the importance of the right to vote. As governor, Walz in 2023 signed legislation expanding access to vote, including provisions allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote and permitting voters to join a permanent absentee voter list. That same year, he signed a bill into law that restored voting rights to over 50,000 Minnesotans on parole, probation or community release due to a felony conviction. On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law. Read more on Walz’s and Harris’s voting rights record.

OPINION: Georgia Election Deniers Deliver for Trump

In his latest column, Marc Elias weighs in on the new rule passed this week by Georgia’s election board and Trump’s praise of the board’s three Republican members. “That this violates state law seems clear,” he wrote. “The obligation of county boards to certify elections is mandatory and ministerial. Nothing in Georgia law permits individual members to interpose their own investigations or judgment into a largely ceremonial function involving basic math.” For Trump, Elias added, “these legal niceties are beside the point. He wants to be able to pick and choose which election results are accepted based solely on the outcome. This rule is a step in that direction.” Read more here.

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What We’re Doing

This week, the Democracy Docket crew watched in awe as the U.S. teams achieved stunning victories at the Olympic Games in Paris. As in previous games, the performances demonstrate the talent and drive of this nation’s top athletes on the world stage. But for staff writer Crystal Hill, one of the most memorable moments was when powerhouse gymnast Simone Biles and her decorated teammate, Jordan Chiles, celebrated Brazilian gold medalist Rebeca Andrade while the three athletes were on the podium, showing that the games are about much more than winning.

Daniel Squadron of The States Project joins Defending Democracy to discuss why state legislatures are the true front lines in the battle for democracy. Watch now.