Georgia Judge Rules Counties Must Certify Election Results, Cannot Exclude Votes Over Fraud Concerns

A Georgia judge has ruled that county election officials must certify election results by the legal deadline and cannot exclude any group of votes from certification, even if they suspect errors or fraud. Judge Robert McBurney of the Fulton County Superior Court stated that election officials do not have the authority to refuse or delay certification based on suspicions of fraud. The ruling emphasized that concerns about fraud should be noted and reported to the appropriate authorities but cannot be a reason to withhold certification.

This decision came in response to a lawsuit by Julie Adams, a Fulton County election board member, who argued that board members should have the discretion to reject certification if they suspect issues with the votes. Judge McBurney ruled that Adams and other board members are not allowed to deny certification but do have the right to inspect election documents. Both sides claimed the ruling as a victory, with Democrats calling it a legal win and Adams highlighting that board members have the right to access election materials.

Georgia judge rules county election officials must certify election results – ABC News (go.com)