Georgia counties shouldn’t be controlled by the state
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s most populous county has had significant problems A bipartisan review panel found that the state has not interfered with its elections in recent decades, but that it has shown significant improvement.
The State Election Board appointed the three-person panel After Republican lawmakers used a provision allowing for a sweeping election law passed earlier that year to request a review of Fulton County’s handling of elections. The report, obtained by The Associated Press, was submitted on Friday to the board and the Secretary of State’s office.
The report says that in previous years Fulton County’s elections have been plagued by “disorganization and a lack of a sense of urgency in resolving issues.” But it also notes that the county showed improvement from 2020 to 2022, that old staff members have left and “new staff can bring new energy and renewed commitment.”
According to the report, these improvements were driven by Fulton County Board of Elections and Registration.
“Replacing the board would not be helpful and would in fact hinder the ongoing improvements to Fulton County elections,” it says.
Fulton County includes most of the city of Atlanta and is home to about 11% of the state’s electorate. It is a Democratic stronghold and has been long targeted by Republicans.
Many Republican lawmakers represent areas of Fulton, and their districts were established in July 2021. submitted a letter The State Election Board will note the history of county problems and demand answers.
After he lost Georgia in the November 2020 general elections, Donald Trump had refocused on Fulton. Trump made unfounded claims about widespread election fraud in Fulton County in phone calls to state election officials as well as in public comments.
Some of the actions he took as he tried to overturn his election loss, including a phone call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, led Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to open an ongoing investigation into whether Trump and others illegally meddled in the state’s election.
The Fulton County review panel appointed by the State Election Board included Stephen Day, a Democratic appointee to the Gwinnett County election board; Ricky Kittle, a Republican appointee to the Catoosa County election board; and Ryan Germany, general counsel for the Secretary of State’s office.
Fulton County has “a long and well-documented history of issues administering elections,” the report says. These include long lines and inefficiency when reporting election results. These are just a few of the many problems. particularly pronounced During the 2020 Primary Election, there was a consent agreement between the county government and the State Election Board. This included the appointment in that year of an independent monitor for general elections.
That monitor, Carter Jones, observed the county’s practices before, during and after the 2020 general election. He said he found sloppy practices and poor management but no evidence of “any dishonesty, fraud or intentional malfeasance.”
The 2021 election law’s controversial takeover provision allows state legislators to request an investigation into the practices and conduct of local election officials. The State Election Board then must appoint an independent review panel, which is required to issue a final report after an exhaustive investigation.
If the state board finds evidence of county officials violating state election rules or laws three times during the previous election cycle and has not corrected violations, it can suspend the county board. It also says the state board could remove the county board if it finds that during at least two elections over two years the county board has shown “nonfeasance, malfeasance, or gross negligence.”
The state board will appoint a temporary administrator if the county board is dissolved.
Democrats and voting rights activists objected to the law’s passage, claiming that the takeover clause would allow for political interference in local elections. This could also lead to a suppression of turnout. Republicans argued that it was necessary for county election officials to follow the law.