Payam Javan: A federal judge in Georgia, Robert McBurney, has temporarily halted a controversial rule requiring hand counts of ballots in the upcoming 2024 elections. The ruling comes just weeks before the election and aims to prevent uncertainty in the process. Judge McBurney argued that the rule, which was introduced too close to Election Day, could add unnecessary disorder to the election. His decision, made in response to a lawsuit by the Cobb County Board of Elections, puts a pause on the enforcement of the hand count rule while the court reviews the case further.

The halted rule was part of six new regulations introduced by the Georgia State Election Board, which included other requirements like poll watcher protocols and daily reporting mandates. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit labeled the hand count rule as the most disruptive, arguing it would place an undue burden on election workers and complicate the process. According to the rule, election workers in each precinct would be required to verify ballots by hand after the polls close, introducing a layer of manual oversight that many considered excessive and prone to error without proper training.

Judge McBurney emphasized that the rule could increase tensions among election workers and reduce public confidence in the election process. He noted that the expectation of having more than 7,500 poll workers count ballots by hand, without formal training, could create logistical challenges. The rule’s implementation would also result in multiple people handling paper ballots before their secure transportation to the tabulation center, further raising concerns about the integrity of the vote count. However, the judge left open the possibility for the rule to take effect in future elections, once local election boards are better prepared.