Georgia
Chaos swirls around Georgia election board, election measures – Washington Examiner
(The Center Square) – The Georgia State Election Board has faced backlash and lawsuits over the last few months, especially after passing a number of election rules just weeks before Election Day.
The Republican-majority board had a win this week though when a Fulton County judge dismissed a lawsuit on Wednesday put forward by Democrats.
The party sued to force Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to launch an ethics investigation into the board, which could lead to the impeachment of board members, after he refused to consider the complaints. Fulton County Chief Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville ruled the governor can not be compelled to open ethics complaints.
Georgia is one of seven consensus swing states and will play a critical role in the 2024 presidential election. President Joe Biden won the state by 0.2% – about 11,000 votes – in 2020, one of two times since 1980 the Democratic candidate has carried the state.
The board says the election measures it has passed will help ensure election integrity, while Democrats say it will hinder voting.
In Georgia, early voting begins on Oct. 15.
One of the rules the board passed was to require an additional hand count of all ballots cast on Election Day, while another will allow local election board members to take “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results.
Democrats have expressed concerns about the board’s measures.
“Last minute regulations from the Georgia State Election Board threaten the integrity of electoral processes and violate the constitutional separation of powers,” posted Right Count, an election integrity group. “Right Count is now taking action with current and former Georgia legislators to stop them.”
Republicans have supported the board’s decisions, and former President Donald Trump even praised the work of the three Republican board members at a rally in Atlanta in August.
In another controversial move, the board is continuing an investigation into the 2020 election in Fulton County, where Atlanta is located.
On Tuesday, the board voted to subpoena the election records from the county after the county and state election boards failed to reach an agreement.
Board member Dr. Janice Johnston said Fulton County had not complied with an order from the board to hire a monitoring team or answered other questions.
“The State Election Board reached out to Fulton County multiple times, attempting to establish an acceptable monitoring team,” Johnston said. “Fulton County has failed to comply with that decision.”
Democratic state Rep. Saira Draper spoke at Tuesday’s meeting.
“Not only is the nation watching us, the world is watching us,” Draper said. “We are amplifying lies and lies and misunderstandings, fundamental misunderstandings, of how election laws work.”
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections has sued the board, saying the board has “no statutory authority to force the Fulton County BRE to accept, and Fulton County to pay for, election monitors hand-picked by the State Election Board.”
The same lawsuit called out the board’s “blitz of last-minute attempts to drastically impact the imminent general election.”
On Wednesday, Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration filed an additional lawsuit against the board’s passing of the hand-counting provision.
Unless a judge rules on the decision prior to Election Day, that rule will stand and counties are preparing to follow it.
Gulfstream recently announced a $5 million investment in Georgia education, welcoming students and leaders to its Savannah headquarters.
ATHENS, Ga. – Designated hitter Daniel Jackson and centerfielder Rylan Lujo combined for nine RBI Sunday, leading fifth-ranked Georgia to a 12-1 win over LSU at Foley Field.
Georgia improved to 41-11 overall, 21-6 in the SEC, while LSU dropped to 29-24 overall and 9-18 in conference play.
The Tigers return to action at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday when they play host to Florida in Game 1 of a three-game SEC series in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Thursday’s game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.
“Georgia won the moments in this series,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “They’re going to score, so you’ve got to capitalize against them when you have scoring opportunities on offense.”
Georgia starting pitcher Caden Aoki (8-0) was the winner, limiting LSU to one run on four hits in 5.0 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.
LSU right-hander Casan Evans (2-3), making his first appearance since April 17 versus Texas A&M, started the game Sunday and was charged with the loss, working 1.2 innings and allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
“I thought Casan’s stuff looked great, and that’s good for him from a health standpoint,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy that the more he pitches, the better he is, so there might have been a little bit of rust, but I thought he competed fine.”
Georgia struck for four runs in the bottom of the second inning in an outburst highlighted by Jackson’s two-out, two-run single and an RBI single by second baseman Ryan Black.
The Tigers narrowed the gap to 4-1 in the third when designated hitter Omar Serna Jr. delivered an RBI single.
Georgia extended its lead to 7-1 in the fourth as Jackson launched a two-run homer and centerfielder Lujo lined a run-scoring single.
Lujo unloaded a grand slam in the fifth, giving the Bulldogs an 11-1 advantage.
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