The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit on Saturday against four Georgia counties—Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett—arguing that their decision to extend election office hours and accept absentee ballots over the weekend violates state law. The legal action comes amid rising tension in Georgia, as Republicans accuse election officials in these counties of disregarding regulations and obstructing Republican poll watchers.
The dispute centers on Georgia law, which mandates that “all drop boxes shall be closed when the advance voting period ends.” Early voting in Georgia ended on November 1, yet these counties opted to keep election offices open to receive absentee ballots over the weekend. According to a statement from the Georgia Republican Party, this decision contradicts the law and raises concerns about electoral integrity.
“This is a blatant violation of Georgia law,” said the Georgia GOP. “To make matters worse, the four election office locations are situated in areas of the county that will clearly favor Democrat candidates.” The RNC insists that by extending these hours, county officials are creating an unfair advantage for Democratic candidates in a crucial swing state.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley echoed these concerns on social media, accusing election officials in the four counties of disregarding state regulations and intentionally blocking Republican poll observers from overseeing the ballot collection process.
“Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties decided at the last minute to accept ballots over the weekend — which disregards the law. They have also failed to let our poll observers in to watch the process,” Whatley stated on X (formerly Twitter).
The RNC’s lawsuit underscores a broader conflict over the rules governing absentee ballots and poll watching. Republican leaders argue that access for poll watchers is essential to maintain transparency in the ballot-counting process. While Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office has reportedly issued guidance affirming the right of Republican poll watchers to observe, local officials in these counties have allegedly refused to allow GOP observers inside election offices.
This move by local election offices to keep ballot drop sites accessible over the weekend has sparked strong objections from Republicans, who claim it deviates from the state’s established procedures. While absentee ballots can be dropped at official election offices, drop boxes themselves were only available through early voting, which ended on November 1.
Republicans assert that extending hours for in-person absentee ballot submission indirectly defies the rule governing drop boxes and creates opportunities for alleged abuses of the system.
Critics argue that these extended hours might enable potential manipulation or mishandling of ballots in Democratic-leaning areas. Republican concerns were heightened by reports that some voters in Cobb County, who received their absentee ballots late, would now have until November 8—three days after Election Day—to return them, following a recent court ruling.According to Cobb County officials, at least 1,000 absentee ballots were delayed, some of which were sent to voters out of state.
The RNC’s lawsuit reflects deep-seated anxieties over absentee voting processes and fears of what they term as “irregularities” in ballot handling. Party officials have expressed frustration over what they see as inconsistent enforcement of election laws, particularly in counties that lean Democratic. Statements from Republican officials paint these actions as part of a broader strategy by Democrats to “flood the ballot boxes” with absentee ballots.
The Republican National Committee’s legal response highlights the heightened scrutiny on absentee voting procedures amid concerns over voter access and election transparency in high-stakes battleground states like Georgia.
For Republicans, ensuring that election processes remain consistent with state law is paramount. By filing this lawsuit, the RNC aims to prevent counties from allowing extended absentee ballot access beyond the timeframe legally permitted.
The tension over absentee ballot collection in Georgia is emblematic of a broader national debate over election integrity and voting access, with both parties closely monitoring compliance with state laws. As legal proceedings unfold, the outcome could set an important precedent for how absentee voting is handled in the final days leading up to Election Day, particularly in tightly contested races.
“Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett” Possibly the four most ‘corrupt,’ ‘lawless,’ counties in the state of Georgia. What could possibly go wrong with this?
How is it possible for, as reported, ANY “election official” to “intentionally block Republican poll observers from overseeing the ballot collection process.” When will these ‘criminals’ be removed, arrested, and prosecuted? As John Stossel would say, “GIVE ME A BREAK.”
It does NOT matter what the purpose is. The illegal act by an employee who has sworn to duty is a FELONY in every state.
Where is the Georgia State Bureau of of Investigations? Where are the arrests?
The ONLY possible and rational resolution is to remove any ballots cast or distributed during those hours. If that is NOT possible, the the Entire precincts involved should not have their votes counted at all (unless one can prove it was a political reason to case a specific party to win. then just the votes for that party should not be counted.
The problem is that not letting observers in is in fact an ADMISSION of unlawful activity to change teh results of the election. If we want integrity in elections then the penalties must be extreme.
So it’s 2020 all over again, and the Communist Democrats could careless what the Citizens think or say.
In other words, they’ll do what they say and do what ever it takes to get a very unqualified, stupid word salad Moron in Office by any illegal means necessary, and we have to except it.
Mass lawsuits should be filed immediately.
But will the cowardly Republicans do it.?
I doubt it.
These officials in those counties that made the decision to extend hours need to be convicted and thrown in jail.
Amen and Amen, I do believe they are all crooked in those 4 counties in Ga. They surely don’t follow the LAW.
Yeah it has started already, why is it always happens in the democrats favor. Even in 2020 every time there was something crooked or shady going on it was always in the democrats favor. Please explain to me why these counties won’t let republicans in their offices where they are counting ballots even tho the law says they have too. In 2020 in Fulton county they sent everybody home because of a water main leak, ball face lie, everybody left but two black women and they went over to a table and pull out 2 boxes of ballots and started counting. Don’t reckon they minded getting wet. Next morning Trump had lost and dud dum joe had won, but when everyone left except those two black women Trump was ahead by thousands of votes, but come morning, well you guess it. Now please tell me it wasn’t rig, when the democrats put up cardboard over the windows to keep republicans from watching them count the ballots which is also against the law, but hey these 4 counties are above the law in Ga.