County election officials now have greater scrutiny to investigate and delay ballot counts before certifying election results.

The Republican-controlled State Election Board passed a rule Monday granting the additional authority to county election boards. The 3-2 vote enables local election officials to do a hand recount of votes to make sure the number of ballots cast does not exceed the number of people who voted.

State Election Board Chair John Fervier, who voted against the ruling, said the certification process needs “guardrails” which the new rule does not have. Fervier is concerned that the ruling allows for “unlimited search for documents” during the certification process that could delay election results. 

“I’ve always believed there needs to be guardrails around that process,” Fervier, a vice president at Waffle House, said. “I’ve stated that many times, and this rule does not provide any guardrails for that process.”

Republican board members Rick Jeffares, Janelle King and Janice Johnson voted in favor of the new rule. The trio were recently praised by former Donald Trump during a presidential bid rally in Georgia as “pitbulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.”

The board has come under fire recently:

• On Monday, Georgia House Democrats asked House Speaker Jon Burns to remove King, his appointee, from the board. King, a conservative media personality, was appointed to the board in May.

• Fulton County’s former elections board chief Cathy Woolard filed an ethics complaint against the three Republican members, alleging a series of violations involving ethics code and public trust.

• Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has criticized proposals up for debate by the five-member board as a last-minute “effort to impose new rulemaking,” saying it could create problems in upcoming elections.

•  State Attorney General Chris Carr said Monday the State Election Board cannot order his office to reinvestigate 2020 voting results in Fulton County. 

The State Election Board, which is composed of volunteers, is responsible for creating election rules, investigating fraud charges and making recommendations to state legislators.

Have questions, comments or tips? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].