{"id":2239853,"date":"2024-05-08T07:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T11:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-media-allies-pressure-georgia-election-officials-to-blindly-certify-elections\/"},"modified":"2024-05-08T08:01:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T12:01:44","slug":"democrats-media-allies-pressure-georgia-election-officials-to-blindly-certify-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-media-allies-pressure-georgia-election-officials-to-blindly-certify-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats and media allies urge Georgia election officials to certify elections without question"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-media-allies-pressure-georgia-election-officials-to-blindly-certify-elections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2239853&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary \u200bdiscusses the pressure faced by Georgia Board of Registration and Elections (BRE) members \u200ddue to Democrats&#8217; tactics, the duty to ensure election procedures\u200d compliance, the\u2064 controversy around\u2063 certification, and the proposal to clarify certification rules. It\u200c also highlights the \u2062challenges BRE\u200d members encounter in certifying elections under legal scrutiny and the\u200d need for proper verification before \u200bcertification.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Thanks to Democrats\u2019 latest intimidation tactics, Georgia Board of Registration and Elections (BRE) members are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Under Georgia law, BRE members are given <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ga\/title-21-elections\/ga-code-sect-21-2-40\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">superintendent<\/a> power to review election procedures as well as the duty to ensure those procedures are followed.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, if Election Day comes and there are known issues with chain of custody, important documentation is withheld, or various statutorily required election procedures were violated and not addressed, BRE members face undue pressure to certify the election <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/analysis-opinion\/election-denial-cant-overcome-election-certification-protections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anyway<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-657270950\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-380ff9a1f968d90be8c5a95a7542d64c fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-380ff9a1f968d90be8c5a95a7542d64c\"><\/div>\n<p>According to the reasoning of liberal groups, it <a href=\"https:\/\/protectdemocracy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PD_County-Cert-WP_v03.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">does not matter<\/a> that the Georgia election code states that BRE members have a <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ga\/title-21-elections\/ga-code-sect-21-2-70\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">duty<\/a> to \u201cinspect systematically and thoroughly\u201d the conduct of elections \u201cto the end that primaries and elections may be honestly, efficiently and uniformly conducted.\u201d They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/several-republican-officials-vote-against-certifying-georgia-elections\/XRALMPAOZFHABLVH7756GILWD4\/#:~:text=Several%20Republican%20officials%20vote%20against%20certifying%20Georgia%20elections,-Democrats%20warn%20of&#038;text=Refusing%20to%20sign%20off%20on,against%20certifying%20their%20local%20elections.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">must still certify<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiademocrat.org\/dpg-raises-alarm-on-gop-election-board-members-refusing-to-certify-2023-municipal-election-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/failed-experiment-austria-suspends-not-proportionate-forced-vaccination-requirement\/\" title=\"Failed Experiment: Austria Suspends 'Not Proportionate' Forced Vaccination Requirement\">face legal consequences<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, a rule proposal has been <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/forms\/Rule%20Petition%20-%20Nuriddin_redacted.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">submitted<\/a> to the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) that would further cement the role of certification by providing clearer order and stating that certification must occur \u201cin the manner required by the chapter.\u201d Although the context of the election code is already clear, adopting the proposed rule would help resolve any conflict in understanding by referencing the whole chapter and pointing out that certification is part of a process, not a standalone one-and-done.<\/p>\n<p>The role of certification has gained more attention in recent reporting, with both local and national outlets aggressively suggesting that BRE members\u2019 role in certification is ceremonial. When BRE members refused to certify in Georgia\u2019s November municipal election, members were blasted by national news voices like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/rachel-maddow-trump-israel-hamas-antisemitism-palestine-gaza-msnbc-1847472\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rachel Maddow<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/protectdemocracy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PD_County-Cert-WP_v03.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Others<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/election-officials-refused-certify-results-few-held-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suggested<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rules-ca-gov-overstepped-his-authority-with-covid-order-issues-permanent-injunction-restraining-newsom-from-further-issuing-unconstitutional-orders\/\" title=\"Judge Rules CA Gov Overstepped His Authority with Covid Order, Issues Permanent Injunction Restraining Newsom From Further Issuing Unconstitutional Orders\">election officials<\/a> who fail to certify could be prosecuted. If that were not intimidating enough, these board members were also sent <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/forms\/Rule%20Petition%20-%20Nuriddin_redacted.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">targeted letters<\/a> from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiademocrat.org\/dpg-raises-alarm-on-gop-election-board-members-refusing-to-certify-2023-municipal-election-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democratic Party of Georgia<\/a> (DPG) suggesting the same thing. For board members trying to follow the law, it\u2019s a lose-lose situation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0d9b0aba9c05f91238be6bfde876bc62 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0d9b0aba9c05f91238be6bfde876bc62\"><\/div>\n<p>To justify their position, corporate news outlets and the DPG point to the election code\u2019s language that states that board members <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ga\/title-21-elections\/ga-code-sect-21-2-70\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cshall\u201d<\/a> certify the election. However, this interpretation is flawed. Any requirement that board members certify is clearly subject to a certain timeline. Even if you assume board members <em>must<\/em> certify, it is only after all the other duties and procedures in the statute have been addressed.<\/p>\n<p>For example, no one should expect board members to certify the election before the votes have been tabulated \u2014 that would be absurd. The same kind of timing problem exists here. Recent commentary on the role of certification unduly pressures election officials to certify before proper verification, which is a legally questionable course of action.<\/p>\n<p>To give another example, BRE members have a duty to ensure that the number of ballots cast <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ga\/title-21-elections\/ga-code-sect-21-2-493\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">matches<\/a> the number of people who voted <em>before<\/em> the votes are recorded. If these numbers do not match, the law requires the recording of votes to cease until the matter is investigated and resolved. If the numbers do not match, and the issue has not been resolved, how are BRE members supposed to comply with this statute and the left\u2019s position of automatic certification? <\/p>\n<p>The answer is they can\u2019t. It is worth noting that if Fulton County election officials had reconciled ballot numbers according to the statute in 2020, the county would have caught the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/allegation-of-double-counted-ballots-in-2020-considered-by-georgia-board\/B4KG46GWMJCP3IYSXQA4KQCLEE\/\">3,000<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/11\/24\/georgia-governor-releases-more-evidence-that-2020-ballots-were-miscounted\/\">duplicate votes<\/a> that were erroneously counted in the general election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-353b72cb31e6183c485618bf99f6532e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-353b72cb31e6183c485618bf99f6532e\"><\/div>\n<p>Of course, there are inappropriate reasons to fail to certify the election. If the prescribed process is complete and all their duties have been performed, then and only then \u201cshall\u201d BRE members certify the election. This prevents BRE members from failing to certify the election for political or obstructive reasons. A BRE member cannot refuse to certify the election because he doesn\u2019t like the result or has vague unspecified suspicions.<\/p>\n<p>BRE members are not purposeless figureheads of county boards. They are valuable public servants meant to actively ensure the lawful execution of one of our most prized American rights and traditions. Treating certification as a ministerial task shackles election officials and keeps them from being effective in their duty, and it is an important duty we have appointed them to do.<\/p>\n<p>As an increasing number of partisan reports continue to push for illogical procedures that cheapen election security, the adoption of a rule that certification must occur \u201cin the manner required by the chapter\u201d could prevent Election Day intimidation tactics from being used to bombard and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/review-2000-mules\/\" title=\"REVIEW: \u20182000 Mules\u2019\">pressure election officials<\/a> into certifying without completing their duties. <\/p>\n<p>The SEB meeting where these rules will be voted on is <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/page\/state-election-board-meetings-events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this week<\/a>. Hopefully, the board will vote in a way that maintains consistency in the election code and allows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-replace-child-welfare-bill-with-changes-to-election-law\/\" title=\"Democrats swap child welfare bill for election law revisions\">county board members<\/a> to do their job.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1172843e0c0b627ba1e1c8c558dab0b4 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1172843e0c0b627ba1e1c8c558dab0b4\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Due to Democrats&#8217; recent intimidation tactics, the Georgia Board of Registration and Elections (BRE) members face a challenging situation. According to Georgia law, BRE members have the authority to oversee election procedures and ensure their compliance. However, they are in a difficult position if issues arise on Election Day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3124,"featured_media":2239854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/47421890312_dbfe90b516_o.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2239853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/47421890312_dbfe90b516_o.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2239853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2239854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2239853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2239853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2239853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}