Georgia Supreme Court denies emergency appeal for GOP-backed ballot rules struck down by judge

The Georgia Supreme Court has denied nan Republican Party's petition to instantly reinstate caller ballot rules passed by nan State Election Board (SEB) past month. 

The Peach State’s highest tribunal said it will perceive nan Republican National Committee’s (RNC's) petition for an expedited entreaty precocious past week aft Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr. ruled nan measures were "illegal, unconstitutional, and void."

The one-page determination by nan authorities Supreme Court released connected Tuesday day indicates that ruling will stay successful spot done Election Day.

Cox's determination covered a request for ballots astatine each precinct to beryllium manus counted by 3 abstracted region officials to guarantee nan full matches nan machine-tabulated number, arsenic good arsenic a proviso directing region boards to certify predetermination results only aft "a reasonable inquiry" into their accuracy, among others.

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Georgia is weighing caller elections' measures arsenic early voting is underway. (Getty Images)

Plaintiffs successful nan lawsuit included civilian authorities groups for illustration nan Georgia State Conference of nan NAACP and Eternal Vigilance, arsenic good arsenic a existent and a erstwhile authorities official.

The authorities Supreme Court noted it "lacks jurisdiction complete this motion" but said it would return nan lawsuit owed to nan "issues of gravity and nationalist importance" it presents. The RNC and its allies, including nan Georgia authorities GOP, requested an emergency expedition of nan appeals process.

It comes arsenic Election Day approaches successful precisely 2 weeks, though Georgia has already shattered early voting records conscionable 7 days aft nan process began past Tuesday.

The SEB voted to walk nan rules successful a 3-2 determination connected Sept. 20, pinch 3 Republican-appointed members voting for nan alteration and 1 against.

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The Georgia Supreme Court said it would perceive nan appeal. (Supreme Court of Georgia)

In summation to nan 2 aforementioned rules, nan SEB measures struck down by Cox included an ID request and heightened archiving requirements for group delivering absentee ballots to driblet boxes, and a norm requiring video surveillance of driblet boxes for votes formed location to beryllium counted.

The plaintiffs successful nan lawsuit based on nan SEB did not person nan authority to make specified rules.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented nan plaintiffs successful nan case, said nan measures were "injecting chaos into nan antiauthoritarian strategy successful nan contiguous run-up to nan November election."

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"Early voting has begun and complete 1 cardinal Georgians person already formed their ballots. Judge Cox's ruling prevented a norm alteration successful nan mediate of nan game," nan ACLU said successful consequence to nan Republicans’ appeal.

Even if nan tribunal rules successful nan GOP's favor, however, nan hand-count ballot norm would still beryllium blocked owed to a abstracted Fulton County Superior Court ruling temporarily delaying its implementation. Another earlier ruling mandated that nan elections must beryllium certified by a definite date, sloppy of region officials' inquiries.

Democrats had accused nan GOP officials of trying to sow uncertainty and chaos successful nan predetermination process pinch nan caller rules.

The RNC, led by Chair Michael Whatley, revenge an emergency entreaty successful nan case. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Republican skeptics, including State Secretary Brad Raffensperger, person based on their implementation is unworkable this adjacent to nan election.

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However, statement officials for illustration Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon based on nan rules are basal guardrails to ensuring predetermination security.

"If his determination were upheld, it would severely curtail nan expertise of nan authorities elections committee to modulate our elections and to do nan job," McKoon said.

The Harris run referred Fox News Digital to a consequence to an earlier ruling temporarily blocking nan hand-count ballot norm erstwhile asked for comment, "From nan beginning, this norm was an effort to hold predetermination results to sow uncertainty successful nan outcome…We will proceed fighting to guarantee that voters tin formed their ballot knowing it will count."