By EFE
01 Oct 2024, 07:26 AM EDT
Miami – Democrats filed a lawsuit this Monday against the rule approved this month by the Georgia Board of Elections that establishes the manual counting of votes in this state, which will be key in the presidential elections on November 5.
The complaint, filed by the Democratic National Party (DNC, in English) and the state affiliate of this party, alleges that the measure approved on September 20 will lead to “chaos” and delays in the dissemination of the results, in addition to putting voting cards at risk.
As reported by The New York Times, the lawsuit filed in a Fulton County court aims to “protect the sanctity of state laws and avoid chaos on election night,” in which former president Donald Trump will face each other. and US Vice President Kamala Harris.
The letter adds that the controversial measure exceeds the powers of the state electoral board, which since last May has a majority of members who support the current Republican candidate in the next general elections, former President Donald Trump (2017-2021).
The measure, approved with three votes in favor and two against, and despite the opinion against the state attorney and legal experts, establishes that local electoral officials must count the votes by hand once the voting centers close and in addition to automated accounting.
Before the state election board put the new regulations to a vote, the office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger expressed its opposition and, among other things, emphasized that the election date was too close to apply such changes. to the electoral process.
For its part, the office of the state attorney, Republican Chris Carr, warned before the vote that this measure is probably not legal. “These proposed rules are not subject to any statute and therefore are likely the precise type of impermissible legislation that agencies cannot make,” his office wrote.
The measure is the most recent in a series of regulations approved in recent months by this State Electoral Board, which for the sake of greater security and transparency last month granted local officials new powers to certify elections, regulations that are also reason of another lawsuit.
In the 2020 presidential elections, in which Trump lost re-election to the current US president, Democrat Joe Biden, the Republican did not recognize the results after accusing without evidence that fraud had been committed, including in Georgia, an assertion that maintains until today.
The former president even faces a trial for alleged electoral interference in this state.
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