On Monday, multiple election officials and Democrats initiated a lawsuit against the Georgia State Election Board due to newly established rules supported by three members appointed by Trump.

The plaintiffs aim to ensure that these new regulations do not hinder the timely certification of election results in November.

The two contested rules mandate election officials to carry out a “reasonable inquiry” regarding the accuracy of results prior to certification and to permit individual county election board members access to “election-related documents generated during the elections.”

The plaintiffs, comprising Georgia county election officials and Democrats, recognized that the rules seem to align with certification deadlines since they only permit inquiries or examinations that should not extend the certification beyond the legal limit.

Nonetheless, the lawsuit argues that these rules could potentially result in delays by allowing officials to search for any perceived election irregularities.

“At the very least, these new stipulations create considerable uncertainty in the post-election process and—if interpreted as intended—lead to confusion by establishing new procedures that conflict with existing legal obligations,” stated the plaintiffs.

The five-member Georgia State Election Board has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the lawsuit. Earlier, member Janelle King, one of the three who supported the new regulations, assured YSL News that none of the approved rules would permit county officials to contravene state law by delaying certification.

“In fact, it does the opposite. By ensuring that every county election board member can access all election-related documents, we actually strengthen the certification process,” said King, who previously served as the deputy state director for the Georgia Republican Party.

Former President Donald Trump recognized King and the other two members who supported the rules – Dr. Janice Johnston and Rick Jaffares – at a campaign rally on August 3, labeling them as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and success.”

Calls for resignation from Republican board members

On the same day, Democratic state lawmakers in Georgia demanded the resignations of the three board members praised by Trump during a press conference, according to Atlanta’s local Fox 5 news channel.

Georgia state Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes expressed that the integrity of the state’s electoral system “is under grave threat,” while U.S. Representative Lucy McBath cautioned that failure to safeguard democracy might lead to “descending into chaos.”

In response to ethics complaints against the board, Republican Governor Brian Kemp’s office issued a statement stating, “We have received letters from Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes and others alleging ethics violations by members of the State Election Board. Given the ambiguity about our authority under Code Section 45-10-4 regarding these complaints, we have consulted the Attorney General for guidance on this matter. We will respond once we receive this advice and evaluate the letters further.” Kemp declined Trump’s requests to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

King mentioned to local media that she joined the board “to do the right thing” and maintains that she does not hold any partisan bias. “Before committing to any action, I thoroughly inquire, consult with legal advisors, and ensure I operate within legal parameters.”

The plaintiffs pointed out in the lawsuit that several county election officials in Georgia have expressed opposition to certifying elections since 2020, with one official raising concerns as recently as March of this year.

They are requesting the Fulton County Superior Court “to prevent chaos in November” by affirming—through a “declaratory judgment”—that the state’s deadlines for certifying election results are obligatory, and that the new rules do not alter this requirement.