Georgia Elections Board prompts claims of illegal meeting after lone Democrat, chairman not present

ATLANTA — A Friday meeting of Georgia’s State Elections Board is now a source of controversy at the State Capitol.

Three Republican members of the board met without the board chairman, John Fervier, or its lone Democratic member, now some are claiming that meeting could have been illegal.

Channel 2′s Michael Doudna spoke to lawmakers about the meeting, and what those present were trying to do.

At the center of the issue is a continuation of controversial legislation reported on Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday, when the board met to discuss reopening an investigation into the 2020 presidential election. The meeting included moves by elections board members to propose new ways for officials to dispute election results in Georgia.

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The main cause of concern Friday was if the meeting held that afternoon was legal.

According to Janelle King, a Republican member of the State Election Board, Friday’s meeting was without any legal problems.

“As long as three of the board members, which is a majority, we can reconvene, which is what we did,” King said.

However, the rules for setting meetings for the board show that may not be the case.

While two members of the board have the authority to call a meeting, lone Democratic board member Sara Tindall Ghazal the time and place for the meeting must be established by the chairman of the board. The meetings also have to have a full week’s prior notice.

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There was supposed to be a meeting to reconvene on Wednesday so board members could finish work on the proposals passed on Tuesday, but there wasn’t a quorum.

Instead, on Thursday, King and two of her Republican Board members scheduled to meet again at 4 p.m. on Friday, announcing the meeting just 24 hours before.

Due to the timing and amount of notice, both the board chairman and Ghazal were unable to attend. Ghazal said it was an intentional move.

“It seemed certainly to be a deliberate effort to schedule a meeting when they knew I wasn’t available, that the chair wasn’t available, and they didn’t have the authority to set a time for the meeting,” Ghazal told Channel 2 Action News.

However, King disagreed.

“I would say that’s a lie because there is no way I would have known that,” she said about Ghazal’s availability.

Channel 2 Action News acquired a letter showing the Georgia Attorney General’s Office had deep concerns over the legality of an impromptu meeting of the State Elections Board late Friday afternoon.

Board members stated they felt the meeting, which was not advertised 24 hours before it began, was legal because it was the continuation of an earlier meeting.

But the letter sent to the Board shows the Attorney General’s Office expressed doubt over the meeting’s legality because insufficient prior notification was given.

“These violations make these meetings and the actions passed illegitimate,” Ghazal said.

King still says the meeting was not illegal, and that it was simply the board reconvening.

It’s possible that the proposals passed at the meeting Friday will be challenged. If the rules moved forward, there will be 30 days for public comment before it can be officially approved.

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