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Georgia counties urge state elections board to stop changing rules ahead of November

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Georgia counties urge state elections board to stop changing rules ahead of November


ATLANTA — County election officials in Georgia are asking the State Election Board to stop changing the rules ahead of the November election, citing concerns about creating unnecessary confusion for poll workers and voters.

The state board has been considering a slew of rule proposals in recent months and has adopted several of them. At a meeting Monday, state board members adopted a new rule having to do with certification of election results and indicated they planned to consider more rules at a meeting on Sept. 20.

Any rules adopted at the September meeting would take effect 20 days later, after overseas and military ballots have started to go out and just as in-person early voting is about to begin.

The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, known as GAVREO, said in a statement Tuesday that its members are “gravely concerned” that any additional changes will disrupt poll worker preparation and training that is already underway.

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“Any last-minute changes to the rules risk undermining the public’s trust in the electoral process and place undue pressure on the individuals responsible for managing the polls and administering the election,” organization president W. Travis Doss Jr. said in the statement. “This could ultimately lead to errors or delays in voting, which is the last thing anyone wants.”

Two members of the five-person State Election Board — the nonpartisan chair and the lone Democrat on the panel — have similarly expressed concerns about enacting new rules so close to the November election. But a trio of Republican members who have won the praise of former President Donald Trump have pushed ahead with adopting new rules.

“We urge the State Election Board to seriously consider the impact of further rule changes and to prioritize the integrity and smooth operation of the upcoming election,” Doss said in the GAVREO statement. “Our poll workers, election administrators and voters deserve clarity and consistency in the rules that will guide this critical process.”



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Georgia Power customers to see modest savings under new rate plan approved by PSC

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Georgia Power customers to see modest savings under new rate plan approved by PSC


The Georgia Public Service Commission this week approved a plan expected to reduce utility bills for Georgia Power customers by a few dollars a month.

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The commission said the change will generate about $285 million in total annual savings for Georgia Power customers, or roughly $50 per year — about $4.04 per month — for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month.

The Georgia PSC voted Thursday to lower overall rates as part of the approved plan.

Georgia Power Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Tyler Cook said the decision will provide “real savings for Georgia families and businesses as the heat of summer begins and energy use increases.”

“At Georgia Power, our teams work every day to run our business efficiently and keep reliable and affordable energy flowing to our customers,” Cook said.

Cook said the outcome followed months of work between Georgia Power and PSC staff, including reviews, public hearings and input from residents and intervenors.

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The approved plan is tied to a stipulated agreement reached earlier this month involving two cases filed with the PSC in February, the Fuel Cost Recovery case and the Storm Cost Recovery case. Those cases addressed recovering fuel costs used to generate electricity and expenses tied to restoring power after storms.

Georgia Power said its rates remain, on average, about 15% below the national average and that it is still on track to provide additional annual savings of about $102 per year for typical residential customers beginning in 2029.



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Georgia PSC votes to lower Georgia Power utility rates

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Georgia PSC votes to lower Georgia Power utility rates


The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a stipulated agreement on Thursday to lower utility rates for Georgia Power customers starting June 1.

The regulatory body voted to pass the deal without changes, establishing how the utility can bill for fuel costs and storm damage restoration expenses.

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State regulators approve rate cuts

What we know:

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 3-2 to reject several utility cost amendments before ultimately passing the overall deal. Under the approved agreement, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see monthly bills decrease by roughly $4.03 to $4.04. Total annual savings across all 2.8 million Georgia Power customers are projected to reach approximately $285 million.

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The deal reduces how much money the utility can recover from its customer base for storm expenses by nearly 60%, dropping the revenue requirement from $270 million down to $109 million. The agreement also extends the amortization of storm recovery costs, largely tied to Hurricane Helene in 2024, to 67 months, caps natural gas advance purchases at 20% over a 36-month window, and cuts $13 million from the company’s original fuel recovery estimates.

Accountability questions remain unresolved

What we don’t know:

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While the PSC agreed to launch a separate investigation into how fuel costs are allocated, officials have not yet confirmed how much large industrial operations will be forced to pay in future rate cases. Consumer advocacy groups argue that massive data center companies are driving up fuel costs for everyday ratepayers without paying for the infrastructure upgrades they require. Critics note that it remains unclear if a future utility asset structure will successfully shift financial burdens away from residential homes.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press releases issued by the Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power, as well as previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.

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St Louis CITY2 Goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin Called Up to U.S. U-19 MNT Domestic Training Camp in Fayetteville, Georgia | St. Louis SC

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St Louis CITY2 Goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin Called Up to U.S. U-19 MNT Domestic Training Camp in Fayetteville, Georgia  | St. Louis SC


St Louis CITY2 goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin has been called up to the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team for their upcoming domestic training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia from June 1-10, led by head coach Gonzalo Segares. McPartlin will be representing the U.S. for the first time in his youth national team career. McPartlin is the first CITY SC goalkeeper in club’s history to get a national team call up. 

The U.S. U-19’s will face Argentina in back-to-back matches on June 5 and 7, then close out their final match against Japan on June 9.  

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McPartlin has been a member of St Louis CITY2 since 2025 and made his professional debut against Sporting KC II in August 2025, earning his first professional clean sheet in a 3-0 win. The Missouri Native has made seven starts and appearances for CITY2 this season, earning three clean sheets and making 24 total saves, with a 3-1-3 record. McPartlin spent time with CITY SC in both preseason camps this year and has been a regular in first team training this year.





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