Republicans cry foul over county election officials opening offices this weekend

(ExpressTelegraph.com) — Republicans are crying foul after some election officials in metro Atlanta counties opened offices to collect absentee ballots.

According to the Republican National Committee, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties decided at the last minute to accept ballots over the weekend, disregarding the law. A trio of Peach State politicians similarly said Fulton County officials’ actions to open four offices and deny election observers and poll watchers access violated state law.

“After 19 days of early voting, the Fulton County Board of Elections, without the knowledge of the Secretary of State’s office, violated the spirit of free and fair elections and the will of the General Assembly by opening four government buildings in order to receive absentee ballots,” state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, said in a statement.

“This decision raises serious questions regarding the chain of custody of ballots, posing a threat to transparency in our elections,” Beach added. “We must do everything we can to promote trust among the electorate. The recent actions of the Fulton County Board of Elections have eroded that trust.”

In a statement, state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, said the “unelected Fulton elections workers then, in writing, told each other they were not allowed to have observers, clearly subverting the law and removing transparency.” In a statement, the RNC said its election integrity operation 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 RNC said in a statement.

A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger referred to Twitter statements Raffensperger posted but apparently did not share with the media.

Palazzo Vecchio
About Sightseers’ Delight 700 Articles
Sightseers’ Delight started publishing in June 2016. The site, published by The DeFeo Groupe, collects and curates content about places where historical events large and small happened. The site builds off the legacy of The Travel Trolley, which launched in June 2009. The site aimed to be a virtual version of the trolley tours offered in so many cities.