The Georgia Supreme Court denied a request from Republican officials for an expedited appeal to reinstate seven election rules, which included a mandate for numerous poll workers to hand-count ballots, right before the upcoming election.

This ruling likely means that none of the proposed rules will be active on Election Day, November 5. However, the appeal will still follow the normal, slower process.

The hand-count rule was among seven new regulations that were previously invalidated by Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr. on October 16, who determined that the Georgia State Election Board did not have the jurisdiction to enact these rules. The hand-count requirement has been particularly scrutinized by election officials and workers, who warned that it could damage public trust in the election process and could prevent weary workers from meeting the November 12 deadline for county certification.

“We will proceed with our appeal next year and hope for rational judgment,” McKoon stated.

The hand-count requirement is part of a series of election changes recently introduced by three Republican members of the state election board, who have received commendations from former President Donald Trump as “dedicated advocates for integrity, transparency, and success in elections.” Two of the board members have publicly defended the hand-count rule as a means to enhance election integrity, countering claims that it might jeopardize the certification deadlines set for counties.

Despite concerns raised by Republican state leaders, the majority on the state election board has continued to push forward.

Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, had previously warned in an August 15 press release that the hand-count plan could result in “errors, lost or stolen ballots, and potential fraud.” Similarly, Georgia’s Republican Attorney General Chris Carr advised that the proposal might be illegal.

The hand-count rule, passed on September 20, was supposed to take effect this Tuesday. However, poll workers responsible for implementing this rule had not received any training from Raffensperger’s office on how to execute it properly.

The other six rules, which will also remain invalid for the November 5 election, would have:

• Required local officials to perform a “reasonable inquiry” prior to certifying results;
• Allowed county officials access to documents related to elections;
• Mandated that absentee ballot deliverers present a photo ID and signature upon delivery;
• Required video recordings of authorized drop boxes after the polls closed;
• Expanded reserved areas for poll watchers; and
• Established additional requirements for county registrars in reporting absentee ballot data.