Georgia G.O.P. Edges Toward Election Takeover in Fulton County

Politics|Georgia Republicans borderline toward a takeover of elections successful Fulton County, the state’s largest.

• July 29, 2021, 1:24 p.m. ET

Republicans successful Georgia’s General Assembly person requested a show reappraisal of the apical predetermination authoritative successful Fulton County, the archetypal measurement successful a imaginable takeover of the county’s electoral process that could springiness the Republican-led legislature much power implicit an country with the largest attraction of Democratic voters successful the state.

The request, submitted successful a missive connected Tuesday by State Senator Butch Miller and signed by astir 2 twelve different Republican authorities senators, calls for a sheet reappraisal of Richard Barron, the region predetermination director, implicit what the lawmakers described arsenic a nonaccomplishment to decently execute risk-limiting audits, a process that helps guarantee the close results and security, aft the 2020 election.

“We bash truthful arsenic a measurement of past resort, having failed to adequately assuage the interest that we, arsenic elected officials, person regarding the integrity of the Fulton County elections process,” Mr. Miller wrote successful the letter.

Fulton County, which includes overmuch of Atlanta, has a grounds of problems with its elections. Most recently, its June 2020 superior contention was marred by voting instrumentality difficulties that were exacerbated by the tiny size and mediocre grooming of its staff, causing lines to agelong for hours crossed the county.

But the November wide predetermination and the January runoff elections successful the region ran comparatively smoothly, with fewer reports of lengthy waits oregon different complications. There were nary morganatic questions astir the accuracy of the results successful immoderate of the 3 caller elections. In the statesmanlike race, President Biden carried the county with much than 72 percent of the ballot and much than 380,000 votes.

The reappraisal process for section predetermination officials is simply a recently captious constituent to Georgia elections aft authorities Republicans passed a sweeping caller voting law successful April. It includes respective provisions that lay the groundwork for an bonzer takeover of predetermination medication by partisan lawmakers.

Under the caller law, the State Elections Board is permitted to regenerate region predetermination committee members aft a show reappraisal oregon investigation. But the caller instrumentality besides restructures the authorities board, stripping the caput of authorities of his authorization and giving the legislature the quality to name members, including the chair.

The letter, which was earlier reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was signed by 3 Republican members of the Fulton County delegation successful the State Senate. The letter’s authors said they expected members of Fulton County’s House delegation to articulation them, which would automatically statesman the review.

State Representative Chuck Martin, a Republican subordinate of the Fulton County location delegation, said helium supported the petition for the show review, and had besides spoken to Jan Jones, the talker pro tempore and different subordinate of the delegation, who supported a reappraisal arsenic well.

“Mine is not with an oculus connected taking implicit elections,” Mr. Martin said successful an interrogation connected Thursday. “This conscionable seems to beryllium the lone mode we tin get information to get answers for the radical we represent.”

Mr. Barron, the Fulton County predetermination director, did not respond to requests for comment.

Democrats rapidly denounced the move, informing that it undermined the sanctity of aboriginal elections.

“After giving themselves unprecedented powerfulness nether Senate Bill 202, Republicans wasted nary clip successful waging an anti-democratic, partisan powerfulness grab, attempting to prehend power of elections successful Georgia’s largest county, location to the top fig of voters of colour successful the state,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo, the main enforcement of Fair Fight Action, a Democratic voting rights radical based successful Georgia. “Their partisan efforts hazard predetermination subversion.”

Brad Raffensperger, the Republican caput of state, supported the review.

“I person called repeatedly for alteration successful Fulton’s elections leadership, truthful I’m gladsome Republican legislators are joining maine successful this effort,” helium said successful a statement. “After Fulton’s failures past June, I required Fulton to judge a show during the wide predetermination and runoffs, and forced the region into a consent statement to commencement fixing their absorption problems.”