ATLANTA (AP) — Four years after the 2020 election, a newly aligned with the Republican Party Georgia’s election board is pushing to reinvestigate the state’s largest county over its handling of voting.
The Georgia State Board of Elections voted 3-2 Wednesday to ask the state attorney general to investigate Fulton County government, seeking to reopen an inquiry that closed in May.
The action shows the extent to which Republican outrage over the 2020 elections continues to galvanize party activists and comes just after a Saturday rally in Atlanta where the former president donald trump tried to reconnect unproven claims that he won Georgia, which President Joe Biden won that year by a narrow margin. He praised the State Election Board at the same rally.
It is unclear whether Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican who has been opposed by Trump, will take any action. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The resolution says if Carr doesn’t act, the board will try to hire outside counsel to conduct an investigation.
It’s also unclear what could happen if an investigation moves forward. On a highly contested law of 2021, the board was given the power to take over election administration in individual counties. That provision was always aimed at Fulton County in the aftermath of an election that an independent monitor said was characterized by sloppy practices and mismanagement but without any evidence of any intentional irregularities.
A trio of republican supporters aligned with Trump took control of the five-member regulatory board, which has no direct role in determining election results but writes rules to ensure elections run smoothly and hears complaints about violations.
Some activists who have long wanted action against Fulton County argue that authorities should face criminal charges. These activists have also long pushed for access to paper ballots from the 2020 elections, which could allow for a citizen review similar to the one that rocked Arizona in 2021.
As part of the May resolution of the previous inquiry, the board concluded that Fulton County improperly double-counted some votes. But those who filed the complaint say that other issues have not been resolved, such as the lack of electronic readings of ballot papers.
“It seems to me that someone is moving heaven and earth to not allow anyone to get to paper ballot boxes,” said Dr. Janice Johnston, a retired obstetrician appointed to the board by the state Republican Party. “I do not know why. I’m just interested in the data and the numbers.”
Wednesday’s decision will likely face litigation. The Fulton County Board of Elections sent a letter to the state board on Monday categorically refusing to attend, saying the May resolution is final and the board is legally prohibited from pursuing action on the same allegations.
“We will not be involved in any discussions, investigations or other actions related to this case,” the county council said in a statement released by county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt. “To do so would be a waste of taxpayers’ money and time that would be better spent preparing for the next general election.”
The state board’s nonpartisan chairman, John Fervier, tried to block the action, citing a letter from Attorney General Chris Carr that he said also warned the move would be illegal. The Associated Press was not immediately able to obtain a copy of the letter.
“We are putting this council at legal risk by passing this motion,” Fervier said.
Johnston, who led a successful effort to overturn Fervier’s decision blocking consideration of the measure, said a lawyer for the state Republican Party advised her the board could proceed legally.
“The State Board of Elections determines when an investigation is complete, and in my opinion, it has not been completed,” Johnston said.
It’s at least the second time in recent memory that state GOP officials or officials have directly advised the board on a course of action. Party Chairman Josh McKoon recently sent two proposed rules and talking points to another GOP-aligned board member, former state Sen. Rick Jeffares.
Part of the agreement reached in May was that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the State Board of Elections and Fulton County agree on a monitoring team. But on Wednesday, the board declined to vote on the team proposed by Raffensperger and Fulton County because it included the former chief attorney in Raffensperger’s office and the man who monitored Fulton’s 2020 election.
Raffensperger’s office declined to comment on the board’s actions. He was removed as a voting member of the board in 2021 and from his non-voting position by lawmakers this year, largely driven by GOP anger over his defense of Biden’s 2020 victory in Georgia.
At Saturday’s rally, Trump said the three GOP-aligned board members “are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory,” while criticizing Fervier and the Democrat on the panel. He singled out in particular Johnston, who was in the second row and thanked Trump for his praise.
“Was my courage contagious?” Trump said. “Well, your courage is also contagious.”
