{"id":2325601,"date":"2024-08-16T10:23:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T14:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-to-equal-voters\/"},"modified":"2024-08-16T10:29:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T14:29:53","slug":"ga-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-to-equal-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-to-equal-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"GA Board To Vote On Requiring Number Of Ballots To Equal Voters"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/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%2Fga-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-to-equal-voters%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=2325601&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>On Monday, the Georgia \u2064State Election Board (SEB) is scheduled to vote on \u200da proposed rule amendment aimed at improving the integrity of election processes in \u200bthe state. This\u2064 amendment would mandate\u200c all county boards of elections to follow new procedures that\u2062 ensure the number of ballots, votes, and voters align\u200b accurately. The push for change comes after over 3,000 ballots were double-scanned during the 2020\u200d presidential recount in Fulton County, raising concerns about their\u200b potential miscount. <\/p>\n<p>Kevin Moncla, who has filed a complaint highlighting possible violations of election codes, argues that\u200b the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/election-integrity-win-in-georgia-election-board-reprimands-fulton-county-will-appoint-monitor-for-2024\/\" title=\"Georgia Election Board Reprimands Fulton County, Plans to Appoint Monitor for 2024\">double-scanned ballots<\/a> were \u2062counted twice and \u200demphasizes that this issue\u200b reflects a \u200bbroader systemic problem in\u200c the election process. \u2064He points out that during the hand count, numerous ballots went missing\u2062 or were\u2062 not counted, indicating \u200dinadequate reconciliation efforts. <\/p>\n<p>Though Georgia state law requires election reconciliation, it \u200dcurrently lacks uniformity across the state. The proposed amendment\u2062 would require detailed categorization of votes and necessitate investigations into \u2063any \u200bdiscrepancies identified at\u200c polling precincts. Furthermore, a \u2064separate\u200c proposal\u200c would enhance the \u200dcounting process, \u200bensuring independent \u200bverification by poll\u200c officials \u2064to maintain \u2064accuracy and \u200dconsistency in ballot counts. This aim is to build\u2064 voter trust in the election process and ensure \u200caccountability.  <\/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<div>\n<p>On Monday, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) is set to vote on a <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-07\/notice_of_proposed_rulemaking_183_1_12_12_1_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rule amendment<\/a> that would require all county boards of elections to comply with new procedures to enforce current state requirements that the number of ballots, number of votes, and number of voters in election tallies come out equal.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia saw more than 3,000 ballots double-scanned during the 2020 presidential recount in <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/05\/09\/board-refuses-to-have-fulton-county-investigated-for-double-scanning-3000-ballots-in-2020-recount\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fulton County<\/a>. It is unclear how many &mdash; if any &mdash; of the double scanned ballots were counted twice as votes, since the Georgia secretary of state&rsquo;s office could not confirm it, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/georgia-election-board-reprimands-fulton-for-double-scanned-ballots-in-2020\/G3H27SUHGFDRHAOZSG4JQJ2F7E\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Atlanta-Journal Constitution<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Moncla, who <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/04\/in-georgia-and-elsewhere-officials-sow-distrust-in-elections-by-dismissing-voters-integrity-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filed a complaint<\/a> alleging potential violations of Georgia&rsquo;s election code in Fulton County, tells The Federalist he believes the double-scanned ballots were indeed counted twice since he says they appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-elections-board-takes-down-mayoral-race-results-after-finding-discrepancy\/\" title=\"NYC Elections Board Takes Down Mayoral Race Results After Finding \u2018Discrepancy\u2019\">cast vote record<\/a>. A streamlined reconciliation process would catch a repeat of this election malfeasance by identifying more votes tallied than the amount of voters who voted.<\/p>\n<p>But Moncla tells The Federalist it wasn&rsquo;t just that more than 3,000 ballots were double scanned. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the hand count they found approximately 6,000 ballots in four different counties that were missing or hadn&rsquo;t been counted, and that means that no one is reconciling,&rdquo; Moncla explained. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a one-off in Fulton, it&rsquo;s a pervasive and systemic problem. Reconciliation is like a stool: you need all three legs and if you don&rsquo;t have them all, then you&rsquo;re going to fall.&rdquo; Those &ldquo;three legs,&rdquo; he said, are &ldquo;the number of voters, the number of ballots, and the number of ballots according to the machine.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Georgia state law <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/georgia\/title-21\/chapter-2\/article-12\/section-21-2-493\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">currently requires<\/a> reconciliation, but that process is not uniform across the state. That may all change Aug. 19 with the SEB vote.<\/p>\n<p>Under the proposal, votes would be broken down by category of how the vote was cast, such as absentee, provisional, advance, or in person on Election Day. If a precinct is found to have a discrepancy, the rule would force the board to &ldquo;investigate the discrepancy and no votes shall be counted from that precinct until the results of the investigation are presented to the Board as required [by state law].&rdquo; Should a discrepancy still not be resolved, the issue would be referred to the district attorney for further investigation.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-07\/notice_of_proposed_rulemaking_183_1_12_12a5_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">separate proposal<\/a> would also require that a poll manager and &ldquo;two witnesses who have been sworn as poll officers&rdquo; shall each &ldquo;independently count the total number of ballots removed from the scanner&rdquo; and then compare their totals.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When all three poll officers arrive at the same total ballot count independently, they shall each sign a control document containing the polling place, ballot scanner serial number, electronic name, printed name with signature and date and time of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/midterm-elections-updates-arizona-ag-gives-county-ok-for-full-ballot-hand-counts\/\" title=\"Midterm Elections Updates: Arizona AG Gives County OK for Full Ballot Hand Counts\">ballot hand count<\/a>,&rdquo; the proposal states. If there is a discrepancy, the poll manager is instructed to then investigate the reason for the inconsistency.<\/p>\n<p>Cobb County Republican Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs described the process to The Federalist as being like &ldquo;going to the bank and getting a deposit receipt. You just want to be sure that the number of bills you say are there are actually accounted for.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These proposals create uniform guidance, and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s needed,&rdquo; Grubbs, who also submitted a proposal for reconciliation, explained to The Federalist. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got the law that says what they have to do, but then you don&rsquo;t have the rules that say how you have to do it. And a lot of the boards of election need that reference to go back to and again, a lot of this is necessitated because we have a secretary of state that&rsquo;s not doing his job.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger appeared to criticize the rule proposals in a vague <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/news\/raffensperger-defends-georgias-election-integrity-act-last-minute-changes-delaying-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a> on Thursday, accusing &ldquo;activists&rdquo; of &ldquo;seeking to impose last-minute changes in election procedures outside of the legislative process.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The secretary of state condemned &ldquo;misguided attempts by the State Election Board&rdquo; that he claimed &ldquo;will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-blocks-arizona-county-from-hand-counting-ballots\/\" title=\"Judge Blocks Arizona County From Hand-Counting Ballots\">delay election results<\/a> and undermine chain of custody safeguards.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Grubbs contends that Raffensperger is &ldquo;not doing an adequate job of ensuring our election system is secure&rdquo; or that &ldquo;voter information is accurate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a fundamental lack of accountability of our secretary of state,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Those issues filter down to the counties &mdash; which is one reason why the SEB must provide oversight.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) is scheduled to vote on an amendment that would mandate all county election boards to adhere to new procedures aimed at ensuring that the tallies of ballots, votes, and voters match. During the 2020 presidential recount in Fulton County, over 3,000 ballots were reported as double-scanned. It remains uncertain how many of these double-scanned ballots were counted more than once since the Georgia Secretary of State&#8217;s office could not verify this information, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Kevin Moncla, who lodged a complaint regarding possible violations of Georgia\u2019s election laws in Fulton County, believes that some double-scanned ballots were indeed counted twice because they appeared in the cast vote record. He argues that a more efficient reconciliation process would prevent such electoral misconduct by identifying instances where more votes are recorded than there are voters.<\/p>\n<p>Moncla also pointed out that during a hand count, approximately 6,000 ballots across four counties were either missing or uncounted. He emphasized that this indicates a lack of proper reconciliation efforts: \u201cIt\u2019s not just an isolated incident in Fulton; it\u2019s a widespread and systemic issue.\u201d He likened reconciliation to a three-legged stool\u2014requiring accurate counts for voters, ballots cast, and machine tallies\u2014stating that without all three components functioning properly, the system will fail.<\/p>\n<p>Currently under Georgia law there is a requirement for reconciliation; however, its implementation varies statewide. This could change following the SEB&#8217;s vote on August 19. The proposed rules would categorize votes based on how they were cast (absentee ballot, provisional ballot etc.), and if discrepancies arise within any precincts&#8217; results during counting processes or audits\u2014no votes from those precincts would be considered valid until investigations are completed as mandated by state law. If issues remain unresolved after investigation attempts by local boards of elections then cases will be escalated to district attorneys.<\/p>\n<p>Another proposal suggests requiring poll managers along with two sworn poll officers to independently tally total ballots removed from scanners before comparing their counts for accuracy. If their totals align perfectly they must sign off on documentation detailing polling place information along with scanner serial numbers and timestamps related to hand counting activities; any discrepancies found should prompt further investigation by poll managers.<\/p>\n<p>Cobb County Republican Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs compared this process to receiving confirmation from banks about deposits made: \u201cYou want assurance that what you claim exists is accurately accounted for.\u201d She noted these proposals aim at establishing consistent guidelines which she believes are necessary given existing laws do not specify operational procedures clearly enough\u2014a gap exacerbated by what she perceives as inadequate oversight from Secretary Raffensperger regarding election security measures.<\/p>\n<p>In response last Thursday Secretary Raffensperger seemed critical towards these rule proposals suggesting activists seek last-minute procedural changes outside legislative channels claiming such actions might delay results while compromising chain-of-custody protocols surrounding elections overall\u2014a sentiment Grubbs disputes arguing accountability issues stemming from his office ultimately affect county-level operations necessitating stronger oversight through SEB initiatives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2325602,"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\/08\/1280px-Vote_Here_sign_in_Minneapolis_Minnesota_50563905866-e1723765167845.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[9807,38334,37508,4474,4223],"class_list":["post-2325601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-ballots","tag-election-reform","tag-ga-board","tag-vote","tag-voters"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1280px-Vote_Here_sign_in_Minneapolis_Minnesota_50563905866-e1723765167845.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325601","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\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}