The Republican Party announced a lawsuit on Saturday over counties in Georgia accepting absentee ballots over the weekend and other decisions the GOP said violated the law.
“Democrat officials in Georgia are playing fast and loose with election law,” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said.
“Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties decided at the last minute to accept ballots over the weekend — which disregards the law,” Whatley wrote. “They have also failed to let our poll observers in to watch the process. The Secretary of State has issued guidance to allow Republican poll watchers in but local officials REFUSE. Our election integrity operation has filed a lawsuit. Georgia voters demand that the state and courts ensure that these reckless counties administer fair, transparent, and secure elections. Anything less undermines public trust.”
The news comes just days ahead of the 2024 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. RNC Co-Chairwoman Lara Trump added that their legal operation is “handling” the issues throughout Saturday. “Stay vigilant and VOTE!” Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law said.
Our Georgia operation is on the ground and handling this in real-time. We will share updates as they are available — stay vigilant and VOTE! https://t.co/FHfCoVr8Ju
— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) November 2, 2024
On Friday, the Georgia GOP released a statement calling it a “blatant violation” for Fulton County election officials to open four election offices over the weekend.
“This must be stopped immediately and those willfully breaking Georgia law should be held accountable,” the Georgia GOP said. “To make matters worse, the four election office locations are situated in areas of the county that will clearly favor Democrat candidates. We are calling on state officials to take immediate action to stop this and maintain confidence in Georgia’s election integrity. Fulton County’s patently illegal acts give us no choice but to immediately file suit.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Georgia GOP for more details.
In the 2020 election, the deep-blue Fulton County swung for President Joe Biden, who secured over 72% of the vote there.
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This week, Fulton County, along with other counties, announced that it planned to keep election offices open over the weekend so voters could turn in absentee ballots in-person. Voters also were permitted to use drop boxes to turn in their ballots without human contact.
In 2020, Trump lost to Biden in Georgia by just around 12,000 votes; Georgia is again a key battleground state in 2024.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.