By Reeturaj - Oct 18, 2024
US federal judge temporarily blocks order mandating hand-counting of ballots in Georgia's November election due to concerns of "administrative chaos". Ruling welcomed by Democratic campaign, amidst record early voting numbers and ongoing controversy over election fraud claims by Trump.
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A US federal judge has temporarily blocked an order requiring hand-counting of ballots in Georgia's November presidential election. Judge Robert McBurney ruled that poll workers would not receive adequate training to handle millions of ballots, leading to potential "administrative chaos." The hand-count mandate, passed by the pro-Trump majority on the Georgia election board, would have required three poll workers in each of the state's 6,500 precincts to manually count ballots already scanned by machines. Critics argued this would allow election board members to delay or deny certification of election results.
Judge McBurney emphasized the importance of maintaining public confidence in the electoral process, particularly in a "fraught" election season. His ruling was welcomed by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's campaign, which labelled the hand count rule an attempt to sow doubt in the voting process. Meanwhile, early voting in Georgia began with record numbers, exceeding 328,000 votes cast in person or by mail on the first day. This surpasses the previous record of 136,000 in 2020.
The ruling comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Trump's claims of election fraud. Trump has been charged with eight counts of unlawfully trying to change the outcome of the 2020 election, which he denies. In a recent rally in Atlanta, Trump urged supporters to deliver a victory "too big to rig," reiterating his false claims of election tampering. Conversely, Vice-President Kamala Harris focused on outreach efforts to black voters, encouraging them to remain active in politics.
In a separate decision, Judge McBurney ruled that election board members must certify vote results, following a Republican appointee's refusal to certify Georgia's presidential primary results earlier this year. Georgia is one of seven key swing states expected to decide the presidential contest. The ongoing legal battles highlight the intense scrutiny surrounding the election process. As the presidential election approaches, tensions and controversies surrounding the voting process continue to escalate.