Raffensperger slams Georgia election board proposal to hand-count ballots as ‘misguided’

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger criticized a rule being considered by the State Election Board that would require poll workers to count ballots by hand on Election Day.

The rule, proposed by Sharlene Alexander, a member of the Fayette County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, would require three poll workers to hand-count all ballots and sort them into stacks of 50 until they have arrived at the same total. If that total does not match the one recorded on the voting machines, the poll manager must either determine a reason for the inconsistency or correct it.

In a news release, Raffensperger called the proposal “misguided,” citing legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly.

“The General Assembly knew that quick reporting of results and certification is paramount to voter confidence and passed S.B. 202, but misguided attempts by the State Election Board will delay election results and undermine chain of custody safeguards,” he said.

The proposal has been open for comment, and the board will vote on Aug. 19 whether to adopt it.

However, Alexander said hand-counting ballots was a “long-standing tradition” in Fayette County and other places that was stopped in 2022 by Blake Evans, director of elections for the secretary of state.

Raffensperger’s criticism comes after the board passed a rule on Aug. 6 that would allow a “reasonable inquiry that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate and that the results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in that election” before certifying the results. That ruling received criticism from some who feared it could lead to delays in the certification process.

The news release from Raffensperger’s office also slammed the board members, who he said are “unelected bureaucrats who have never run an election and seem to reject the advice of anyone who ever has.”

The board has five members, one chosen by the state House, one by the state Senate, one each from the Republican and Democratic parties, and a chairperson chosen by the General Assembly or the governor if the General Assembly is not in session. Currently, there are four Republicans and one Democrat on the board.