NEW REPORT: Watchdog Finds Georgia Elections Deniers More Empowered to Disrupt, Highlights Potential Vulnerabilities to Monitor
Step-By-Step Guide Details Georgia Vote Counting and Certification Process to Help Guard Against Election Subversion
Background Briefings Available for Reporters, Advocates
Today, Informing Democracy released a new report detailing the county- and state-wide officials and processes that govern the counting and certification processes in Georgia for the general election taking place on November 5, 2024. The comprehensive guide is centralized in a highly interactive, searchable tool to help journalists and pro-democracy champions monitor election processes, and includes:
A timeline for the ongoing and overlapping processes for vote counting and election certification, with different customizable view options;
An overview of anti-democracy trends and the potential impact on Georgia’s elections.
In conducting research into Georgia election administration, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization made up of election professionals, researchers, and lawyers found that Georgia has protections in place to safeguard its election processes, though there have been concerning changes to the laws and rules governing the administration of elections that offer more levers for anti-democracy actors in official positions to disrupt or delay elections.
“While some states have worked to solidify their election laws and increase transparency, Georgia has done just the opposite. Now, rogue officials are escalating their anti-democracy attacks just weeks before votes are to be cast,” said Informing Democracy Election Law Counsel Justin Berger. “Our in-depth report on the state’s election processes and administrations ensures we hold officials accountable and shine a light on the significant election denial movement determined to subvert Georgians’ voices with new rules changes. With tools like our in-depth state report, we hope to empower journalists and democracy advocates, and ensure Georgia’s 2024 elections are run freely and fairly and decided by the voters.”
Informing Democracy found potential vulnerabilities in Georgia’s electoral processes:
The Georgia State Election Board voted to change the definition of “certification” on August 6—despite objective and overwhelming explanations that the change would violate Georgia law—offering more levers for bad actors in official positions to disrupt or delay elections than were available to them in 2020. A lawsuit was filed against the State Election Board in Fulton County Superior Court to have the Court declare that the new rules are invalid.
Fueled by false conspiracies, there is a significant, organized movement pursuing unnecessary changes in the law that are creating monumental shifts in how elections are conducted. Some of the rules have violated existing statute, have been opposed by Georgia’s Secretary of State, and conflict with Georgia Supreme Court case law.
Georgia was at the epicenter of the election denial movement during the 2020 election and remains the target of anti-democracy actors, made up of sitting elected officials in the state legislature, outside groups, candidates, and their supporters. We expect this movement to latch onto normal variations in election administration across the state in an attempt to further their claims of election fraud.
Informing Democracy is in the process of a comprehensive research review of Election Superintendents in Georgia's 159 counties, focused on surfacing evidence of election denialism, opposition to certification, or support of any other election subversion efforts. Findings will be made public as they become available.
You can read the full report here. For questions about the upcoming elections in Georgia, or to speak with a researcher, please email Ryan Thomas at ryan@zpstrategies.com.