Georgia

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

Published

2 years 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

Georgia cops’ alleged misuse of Flock license plate tracking data fuels privacy concerns

Published

6 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Georgia cops’ alleged misuse of Flock license plate tracking data fuels privacy concerns

Georgia Flock cameras spark widespread misuse fears

ATLANTA – At least ten police officers across Georgia have been arrested and charged with misusing the Flock camera database for personal reasons, adding to growing privacy concerns about the technology.

The cameras, usually mounted to a black pole, record license plates and other data of whoever passes them.

Georgia police database tracking

What we know:

A series of recent arrests has exposed the misuse of Flock license-plate-reading cameras by police officers throughout the state.

In Greene County, Deputy Quin’sha Goss was fired on Tuesday and charged with misusing the system.

The recent arrests include five police officers in Albany, who were also charged earlier this week.

That’s alongside a lieutenant, a sergeant and a deputy in Cherokee County charged last month with violating their oath.

System audits flag searches

What they’re saying:

Flock Co-founder Paige Todd stated that many recent arrests resulted from departments utilizing a new audit assistance tool that automatically flags unusual searches.

“In this case where misuse happened, the technology itself was not creating the misuse. It was it was human beings,” Todd told FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo.

Todd argued that the public safety benefits of the technology heavily outweigh individual instances of human misconduct.

Todd explained, “best way to prevent misuse is now, every member of law enforcement out there knows that this audit exists,”

Todd added that the system has successfully helped track down thousands of individuals across the country.

“We, I believe, solve about a million crimes with our technology,” she said. “10,000 missing people have gone home because of it. This feels like pretty small in comparison.”

Privacy concerns trigger pushback

The other side:

The ACLU of Georgia called the incidents a critical wakeup call regarding constitutional protections and tracking limits. Christopher Bruce of the ACLU of Georgia said, “Jeopardizing your civil rights and civil liberties is never just an unfortunate event. You have constitutional rights, especially a right to privacy. And the question is who polices the police?”

Information security analyst Peter Tran noted that the network relies heavily on automated data collection.

“It uses AI,” Tran said.

Tran said many are uneased by the logging searchable personal data into a nationwide database.

“It becomes a privacy and security issue. So, you’re whereabouts where you shopped, your name, your address,” he said.

SEE ALSO: Dunwoody sets ‘guardrails’ for Flock surveillance cameras use

The blowback has prompted dozens of U.S. communities to end their contracts.

Videos have circulated on social media instructing people how to tear them down or disable them.

In Barrow County, the sheriff said three Flock cameras were recently damaged there.

The sheriff said damage to the devices could be considered a felony.

The Source: The information in this story is based on original reporting by FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo, who interviewed Flock co-founder Paige Todd, ACLU of Georgia representative Christopher Bruce, and security analyst Peter Tran, as well as tracking data from local sheriff offices.

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Georgia

West Nile infections starting to raise concerns in Georgia

Published

17 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

West Nile infections starting to raise concerns in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. — Positive mosquito samples for West Nile virus have been found in Fulton County, according to the Board of Health.

Officials say the samples came from the Grant Park area and that infected mosquitoes are suspected to be present in the city of Atlanta.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report this year’s West Nile infections are the highest since 2004. The disease has been transmitted by mosquitoes, with reported cases in 23 states. Most of the reported cases are considered severe.

Health officials suggest using an insect repellent registered with the EPA. Wearing long, loose-fitting clothing is also recommended.

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Georgia

Travel and Leisure listed unique experiences in each state, including GA

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Travel and Leisure listed unique experiences in each state, including GA

It can be hard to find a truly unique experience for your next vacation. That’s where Travel + Leisure comes in.

Back in May, members of the publication’s team created a list in celebration of America’s 250th Fourth of July, highlighting a unique experience in each state “from hidden gems to iconic highlights and editor-approved favorites.”

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Most unique experience in Georgia

The Georgia spot highlighted was the World of Quercus. Here’s what writer Lydia Mansel said about it:

“The 3,800-acre property, dotted with pecan groves and cabins, isn’t your run-of-the-mill retreat. Guests are encouraged to roam the land by golf cart or on foot, visit the biodynamic vegetable garden, fish the Flint River, and connect with the ranch’s horses. Owned by Chiara Visconti di Modrone and her husband Angelos Pervanas, Quercus is a place where relaxation comes in many forms—and you can design your experience to fit your pace and preferences.”