Amici Curiae | Changing Rules Shortly Before an Election

Public Rights Project – on behalf of former Georgia election officials — filed an amicus brief in Eternal Vigilance Action v. State of Georgia in Fulton County Superior Court urging the court to block new rules recently approved by the Georgia State Election Board in August and September.

PRP’s brief focuses on the burdens the late implementation of the new rules impose on election officials, who have by now finalized budgets and hired and trained poll staff. By introducing these new rules so close to the election, with no exigent circumstances to justify such late adoption, the State Election Board has imposed disorder on local election officials who were already prepared to administer a fair, legal, and orderly election. Among the new election rules is a rule requiring a “reasonable inquiry” before certification of election results and a rule requiring poll workers to hand count the total number of ballots after the polls close on Election Day. If these rules stand, there is a greater likelihood of human error and delay in election results, which serves to erode voter trust.

Eternal Vigilance Action v. State of Georgia (PDF)