Chicago – October 16, 2024
A Georgia judge ruled that county election boards in the state cannot delay or refuse to certify election results. This decision dealt a setback to efforts led by Republicans to give more power to local election officials.
Judge Robert McBurney from Fulton County Superior Court stated in an 11-page ruling that “election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results.” He clarified that no election official can refuse or hold off on certifying results.
The ruling came after Julie Adams, a Fulton County election board member, argued that she needed extra voting data before agreeing to certify the state’s recent primaries. However, the judge said Georgia law doesn’t allow delays based on suspicions of fraud or mistakes.
Judge McBurney emphasized that local officials can’t act as “investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge” on their own. He said Georgia’s rules don’t allow such actions. The state’s election process will depend on several essential hearings this week.
