Last week, the State Election Board met without the presence of the only Democrat board member. The Common Cause Georgia team was there.

In the two-day meeting, the board rushed through a backlog of over 70 cases, including allegations of double voting, voter registration fraud, issues with absentee ballots and drop boxes, and much more. Throughout the meeting, board members made a series of concerning comments and decisions — including pushing debunked misinformation regarding the 2020 election, praising Donald Trump, and bragging about getting airtime on a right-wing podcast hosted by former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

Targeting Georgia Counties
This was the first meeting since the FBI raid of the Fulton County Elections Hub. In a discussion of the raid, the majority of Board Members expressed strong support, suggesting that Fulton County elections have been mishandled and that interference from the DOJ was necessary for getting things back on track. These sentiments are rooted in misinformation of Fulton County’s elections operations and only serve to justify federal encroachment into state operations. Between the SEB’s targeting of the county in the January meeting and the recent FBI raid, Fulton County has faced heavy scrutiny and unprecedented attacks from both the state and federal government.

The board also spent a significant portion of the meeting homing in on Chatham County in a way that closely mirrors its criticism of Fulton County. They accused Chatham County of breaking protocol and improperly reconciling election night results. They also suggested county election officials lack a respect for the chain of custody in elections administration.

Targeting counties like Fulton and Chatham is not just a bureaucratic move, nor is it accidental. Fulton County is the 4th most diverse county in the state and Chatham County is the 13th. While diversity may not be an explicit justification for the boards targeted attacks, as we anticipate attempts to undercut elections across the state, we have to also consider the equity impact such actions will have on voters, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

Pushing Misinformation and Fueling Conspiracies
When Board Members use inflammatory language and insinuate that a county is intentionally abandoning established protocols and jeopardizing the integrity of elections, they help fuel election conspiracies that lay the groundwork for the undermining of state and local government. The SEB continues to act on debunked misinformation and show a willingness to bend to federal overreach and relinquish state authority, even if it means subverting Georgia elections and sowing distrust among voters.

At Common Cause Georgia, we are preparing partners for what a possible takeover by the State Election Board of Fulton County elections may look like and have a plan to respond. We are committed to advocating for free and fair elections in every county across our state and will continue to monitor the SEB and remain prepared to respond to any new or escalating threats to our elections.

Taking Action
Join us at a future SEB meeting and follow along with our work on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay tuned for more calls to action.

Keeping our elections secure includes protecting counties from state and federal overreach and challenging misinformation that can be used to discourage eligible voters from casting ballots.

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