ATLANTA — The Georgia Supreme Court could decide if it will hear an appeal of a Fulton County judge’s ruling to stop the State Elections Board from imposing new rules.
Groups of conservatives, including former Republican state lawmakers, brought the successful legal challenge against the pro-Trump-controlled board, but the Georgia Republican Party said Friday that it’s filed a notice to appeal that ruling.
One of those rules would require local election workers to hand-count ballots.
The conservative groups who challenged those rules say the Board violated Georgia’s constitution.
Former Republican State Rep. Scot Turner filed the original legal challenge saying the State Election Board did things the Legislature never intended it to do.
“As a conservative, it is alarming to me when people who are not elected begin to make such important policy decisions like how our elections are run and not have any accountability to the people,” Turner said.
Former Republican State Sen. Eric Johnson joined in the suit and cautioned fellow Republicans against supporting these new SEB rules.
“You can’t stack the deck in your favor and expect that those same rules won’t be used by the other party or another candidate in the future,” Johnson said.
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The three controlling SEB members came under heavy criticism after former President Donald Trump praised them by name at an Atlanta rally.
That sparked fury from voting rights groups like Fair Fight Action, which praised the ruling.
“The court’s decision to invalidate these MAGA-based rule changes is a huge blow to their broader plan to inject chaos into our elections and help Trump sow doubt about the 2024 election,” said Fair Fight Action’s CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo.
Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon condemned the judge’s ruling and said they are appealing.
“I think Judge Cox had prejudged this case,” McKoon said. “I think when the justices look at this, they’re going to apply the facts and the law in this situation, and I think they’re going to find Judge Cox was 100% wrong.”
The state Supreme Court has not yet decided if it will hear this appeal.
Channel 2 Action News did reach out to the State Elections Board members for comment but hasn’t heard back