(DailyEmailNews.com) – A bizarre, surprising ruling by a Georgia judge has dropped a bombshell by making it clear that the state’s residents can no longer rely on election officials to refuse certification over suspicions of fraud or error.
The ruling by a Georgia judge now compels officials to certify election results despite potential claims to the contrary.
Voters worry that this could undermine transparency and integrity in elections, according to reports.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney has issued a ruling that requires all county election officials in Georgia to certify election results by the statutory deadline, even if concerns of error or fraud are present.
According to this ruling, no election superintendent or member of a board of elections may refuse to certify the results under any circumstances.
Concerns about the certification process have been escalating since the 2020 election, with many worried about the potential for elected officials to succumb to fraud claims.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Julie Adams, a Republican election board member in Fulton County, who sought discretionary power over whether or not to certify results, AP News reports.
Support for this lawsuit came from the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute.
Judge McBurney, however, emphasized that officials have a duty to report any fraud concerns to the appropriate authorities.
They do not have the power to deny certification based on these concerns.
“Any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so,” the judge ruled.
The ruling aligns with Georgia law which mandates that election results be certified by 5 p.m. on the Monday following the election, or by Tuesday if Monday is a holiday.
Discontent grows as critics argue that this ruling could compromise the ability to ensure the integrity of elections.
The controversy surrounding certifying election results has been politicized, with the Democrat National Committee and the Democrat Party of Georgia supporting the ruling as a legal victory.
Adams’ group, however, opposed the ruling, seeking the ability to challenge potentially fraudulent results.
“Election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results,” McBurney wrote in an 11-page ruling.
“Consequently, no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance,” he added, cited by TruthOut.
The ongoing legal wrangling exemplifies the broader battle over Georgia’s election procedures, which have drawn accusations of voter suppression.
Increasingly, lawsuits challenge new rules instituted by the State Election Board, with particular focus on the requirement for a hand count of ballots.
Despite these concerns, the State Election Board defends their new processes, arguing that they are neither complex nor likely to delay election results.
However, further legal tests await as Julie Adams and her supporters look to see whether they can find a way to regain control over election integrity.
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