The Republican National Committee secured a significant legal victory for election integrity on Monday in a Democrat-run county outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Cobb County, the third largest country in the state, cannot accept absentee ballots after the Election Day deadline, according to RNC chairman Michael Whatley.
'Election Day is Election Day.'
In a Monday afternoon post on X, he wrote, “HUGE election integrity victory in Georgia.”
He explained that the county wanted to accept 3,000 late absentee ballots, but the court has blocked it.
“We just got word that we WON the case. Election Day is Election Day — not the week after,” Whatley stated. “We will keep fighting, keep winning, and keep sharing updates.”
RNC co-chair Lara Trump called it a “YUGE victory.”
Last week, Cobb County officials admitted they were behind in mailing out more than 3,000 absentee ballots. Approximately a third of those ballots were requested by people outside of Georgia.
Board of Elections Chairwoman Tori Silas blamed faulty equipment and a surge in late requests in the days leading up to the October 25 deadline, the Associated Press reported.
“We want to maintain voter trust by being transparent about the situation,” Silas said. “We are taking every possible step to get these ballots to the voters who requested them.”
Georgia’s early voting period ran from October 15 through November 1. However, some counties sought to extend hours for turning in absentee ballots in violation of the state’s laws.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated, “Under state law, election officials can receive absentee ballots in person at govt facilities if the county chooses. Several counties have chosen to do this. We are working with the counties and the political parties to ensure this is done transparently and within Georgia law.”
The RNC filed a lawsuit last week against several blue counties in Georgia, Blaze News previously reported.
On Saturday, Whatley accused Democratic officials of “playing fast and loose with election law.”
“Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties decided at the last minute to accept ballots over the weekend — which disregards the law,” he explained. “They have also failed to let our poll observers in to watch the process. The Secretary of State has issued guidance to allow Republican poll watchers in but local officials REFUSE.”
The counties’ refusal to allow poll watchers extended to both Republicans and Democrats, Fox News Digital reported.
Later that same day, Whatley provided an update, stating that the RNC’s poll watchers were being allowed into voting locations in all four counties.
Lara Trump also provided an update on the matter, writing on X, “Working with the [Georgia Secretary of State] and [state Attorney General], we have been able to confirm that our observers WILL be allowed in the room while these ballots are being processed.”
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Blue counties in and around Atlanta, Georgia, are apparently engaging in some election shenanigans this weekend that may run afoul of state law, prompting the RNC to file yet another election integrity lawsuit.
According to a Saturday morning X post from RNC chairman Michael Whatley, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties will permit voters to drop off absentee ballots at designated polling locations this weekend. Whatley added that extending hours for ballot drop-offs "disregards the law."
'The Secretary of State has issued guidance to allow Republican poll watchers in but local officials REFUSE.'
Indeed, Georgia Code § 21-2-385, passed during the 2023-2024 legislative session, says that early voting in Georgia will begin "on the fourth Monday immediately prior to each primary or election" and "end on the Friday immediately prior to each primary, election, or runoff" (emphasis added).
In 2024, that end point should have been November 1.
Furthermore, Ga. Code § 21-2-382 adds that "all drop boxes shall be closed when the advance voting period ends."
Nevertheless, a report from local PBS and NPR affiliate WABE confirmed that "metro Atlanta residents who live in Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb or Gwinnett counties can drop off their absentee ballots over the weekend and on Monday, Nov. 4, the day before Election Day, at their local election offices."
What's worse, there initially may not have been official oversight of some of these drop-off locations. A photo of an email apparently written by Kathryn Glenn, the registration manager of the Department of Registration & Elections in Fulton County, and apparently sent to dozens of office employees indicates that no poll watchers had been authorized.
"FYI - There are NO WATCHERS approved for ballot drop off! Do not let them in the building," Glenn wrote, according to the photo.
"If they want to observe from the parking lot, you can't stop that," her email apparently continued, "but they are not allowed to sit in the building. Have your security detail enforce it!!!"
As a result, the RNC has already filed a lawsuit, Whatley claimed. As of Saturday afternoon, it remains "pending," he said.
Josh McKoon, the leader of the Georgia Republican Party and a former state senator, called these latest moves from Democrat-area election officials a "blatant violation" of Georgian election law.
"We all know what is going on — Democrats are panicked by the incredible Republican turnout in early voting and will do anything to try to catch up even if it means doing it under the cover of darkness and stiff arming any independent observation of whatever the hell is going on in their four 'special voting locations' open today with no notice or approval by anyone authorized to oversee elections administration," McKoon tweeted on Saturday morning.
McKoon tweeted Saturday afternoon that poll watchers had finally been permitted on the premises.
"Fulton County and other counties are now allowing our poll watchers to observe the voting activity occurring" on Saturday, he wrote.
He attributed the change to a pressure campaign from Republican leaders at the state and national levels.
"While we should not have to alert the public to have Georgia law enforced, I am pleased that lawful observation is now occurring."
Blaze News reached out to Kathryn Glenn and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) for comment but did not receive a response.
This is a developing story. Check back with Blaze News for further updates.
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