Republican Calls Out MAGA Efforts to Alter Swing State Election Rules: ‘It Would Lead to Chaos’

The Secretary of State in Georgia is raising concerns over a proposed election rule backed by allies of former President Trump, labeling it as a source of “last-minute chaos” ahead of the upcoming election in November.

Brad Raffensperger, a Republican and vocal critic of Trump, described the rule – which would require three poll workers to manually count ballots on election night to verify them against voting machine results – as “misguided.” This proposal is up for a vote by the Georgia State Election Board on Monday.

In a Friday statement, Raffensperger stated, “Georgia voters reject this 11th hour chaos, and so should the unelected members of the State Election Board.” He emphasized that such abrupt changes to election procedures can undermine voter confidence and place unnecessary burdens on election workers.

The State Election Board consists of three Republicans and two Democrats. Recently, they adopted another rule allowing county election boards to investigate election results before certifying them, an action that received praise from Trump as a means to ensure “honesty and transparency.”

While not naming specific individuals, Raffensperger expressed his concerns about “unelected bureaucrats” influencing major rule changes, warning that these actions could lead to serious complications in an otherwise secure election process.

Cobb County Republican Chair Salleigh Grubbs, who promoted the hand-counting initiative, argued for the need for enhanced security in voting procedures, saying, “We must make every effort to ensure every vote is counted right the first time.”

Raffensperger’s office defended Georgia’s election system, highlighting the state’s achievements in voter participation and its implementation of no-excuse absentee voting. Georgia has seen record turnout in recent elections, including the highest single-day early voting turnout in its midterm history.

Concerns linger that some Republicans could intentionally delay election processes to influence the certification of results, although legal opinions suggest this might be improbable. Georgia will remain a key state to watch, especially after President Biden’s narrow victory in 2020.

Arecent poll indicates a tight race in Georgia, with Trump and Vice President Harris tied at 46%. This marks an improvement for Democrats compared to earlier polling when Biden was the nominee.

The New York Times’ election tracker shows Trump leading Harris by 2 points, while FiveThirtyEight reports a narrower margin of just 1 point.