Georgia

‘No authority’: Georgia election board loses again in court as judge strikes down 7 rules

Published

1 year ago

October 17, 2024

‘No authority’: Georgia election board loses again in court as judge strikes down 7 rules

For the second time in two days, Georgia judges delivered a major blow to efforts by the state’s election board to change the rules governing this November’s election just weeks in advance.

In a late-Wednesday ruling, Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr. struck down seven new rules from the board, including a controversial ballot hand-count rule that another judge had already temporarily blocked on Tuesday. Cox ruled that all seven rules recently passed by the board’s Republican majority contradicted the state’s election laws and exceeded the state board’s authority.

“An administrative agency can only act to implement existing statutory schemes; they hold no authority to create new requirements or otherwise expand their own authority,” Cox wrote.

Members of the state election board didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for Eternal Vigilance Action Inc., a conservative advocacy group that sued to challenge the rules’ constitutionality, also didn’t immediately respond to a comment request.

On Tuesday, after the ballot hand-count rule was temporarily halted by a different judge, state board member Janelle King said in a statement that “sometimes the victory lies in the public knowing that the State Election Board is paying close attention to our election process.”

Hand-count rule ‘vastly expands the authority and obligations of poll officials’

The flurry of last-minute changes ahead of the November election prompted Republican and Democratic officials to voice concern in recent weeks.

King and two other Republican members of the five-person state election board – who have been praised by former President Donald Trump as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory” – passed the ballot hand-count rule and several other measures despite being advised by Georgia Republican Attorney General Chris Carr that they were probably unlawful. King challenged Carr’s assessment in her Tuesday statement.

The hand-count rule would have required thousands of Georgia poll workers to unseal ballot boxes and hand count the ballots, verifying that the totals match tallies produced by machines and working to correct any discrepancies. Studies have found that hand counts are slower and less accurate than machine counts.

Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger warned the ballot hand-count rule in particular could lead to “error, lost or stolen ballots, and fraud.” More broadly, he described a raft of election changes from the state board as “a mess.”

The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, a nonpartisan group with more than 500 officials and staff, had also warned the ballot hand-count rule could undermine public confidence in the election and “set fatigued employees up for failure.”

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In his Wednesday decision, Cox described the rule’s hand-count process as “cumbersome,” and said Georgia election laws that spell out poll officer duties once polls close don’t call for hand counting.

“In fact, the rule vastly expands the authority and obligations of poll officials in preparing ballots pre-delivery to the superintendents and pre-certification,” Cox wrote.

The other six rules Cox struck down would:

Require local officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results
Grant county election board members access to all election-related documentation created as the election was being conducted;
Require an absentee ballot deliverer to provide a signature and photo ID at delivery;
Demand video surveillance and recording of authorized drop boxes after the polls close;
Broaden mandatory, designated poll-watching areas; and
Add new requirements for the county board of registrars in reporting absentee ballot information.

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Georgia

South Georgia honors Officer Caleb Abney

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

South Georgia honors Officer Caleb Abney

VALDOSTA Ga. (WALB) – Family, friends, and law enforcement agencies from across South Georgia gathered at Martin Stadium to remember Officer Caleb Abney.

First responders from across the region stood alongside Abney’s family as Lowndes County opened the stadium for the service.

Lowndes County Board member Chris Buescher said community attendance was important.

“Obviously, these first responders give their all to our community. It is important to come out and support them. We are all heartbroken as a community as one Lowndes family,” Buescher said.

South Georgia honors Officer Caleb Abney(WALB NEWS 10)

Abney’s ties to the community

Buescher noted Abney’s deep roots in Lowndes County, describing his connection to the area beyond his role in law enforcement.

“Caleb was not only a first responder in terms of the fire department, a police officer. He was a former Lowndes County High graduate. He was a former Georgia Bridgeman. So he marched on this very field that these last respects were paid to. So his mom and dad were big volunteers within the school system. So it is important to recognize the sacrifices these first responders make for all of us in the community,” Buescher said.

Procession travels through Lowndes County

The procession exited Lowndes High School and traveled through several roadways across the area. Family members, guests, and first responders made their way to Fellowship Baptist Church.

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To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

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Georgia

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

ATHENS, Ga. – A 19-year-old is facing assault-related charges after police said he raped a University of Georgia student early Saturday morning while she was walking home.

What we know:

Tydarius Wingfield of Athens allegedly approached the student in the area of 400 North Thomas Street just before 1:40 a.m. and asked to walk her home.

Wingfield and the victim did not know each other.

Wingfield then forced the woman behind a building where he sexually assaulted her, police said.

Investigators used the Real Time Crime Center’s camera system to see where the assault happened and track the victim and Wingfield’s movements. Officers continued tracking Wingfield until his arrest and positively identified him using the RTCC technology.

He is charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and battery.

An investigation is ongoing.

What we don’t know:

It is unclear whether the victim was taken to the hospital after being attacked.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Burgamy at Charles.Burgamy@accgov.com or 762-400-7173.

The Source: Information in this report comes from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

Athens-Clarke CountyUniversity of GeorgiaNewsCrime and Public Safety

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Georgia

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

ATLANTA – As conflict intensifies between the United States, Israel and Iran, reactions are pouring in across the Atlanta metro area after President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iran’s supreme leader.

The president confirmed on Truth Social that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint strike led by the U.S. and Israel.

What they’re saying:

“I have been waiting to hear this news for the last 20 years,” said Dr. Sasan Tavassoli, an Atlanta-based pastor born in Iran.

“Ayatollah Khamenei has been responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Iranians over the last three decades. He has been a very evil dictator and a very oppressive tyrant.”

Other local Iranians, like Shohreh Mir, expressed a long-standing desire for internal change rather than outside intervention.

“This was an imposed war,” Mir said. “We still very much would like for Iranian people to change the regime by themselves.”

What’s next:

Tavassoli said the Ayatollah’s death now creates a new issue.

“Ayatollah Khamenei never invested in raising a succession after himself,” he said, “so the crisis of the Iranian revolution and the Iranian regime is there is no legitimate successor.”

While the long-term duration of the conflict remains unknown, Iran has already begun launching retaliatory strikes following the attack.

“This is a huge development for day one, but the war is not over,” Tavassoli noted. “There are still many ways that things can become even more bloody and destructive in the coming days and weeks.”

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Rey Llerena speaking with Iranian Americans across Georgia.

IranDonald J. TrumpNewsPolitics

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