Judge reverses order allowing poll watchers access to election reporting

Editor’s note: The video above is from previous coverage.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A judge has reversed his earlier order that would have allowed poll watchers and State Election Board overseers to observe the state’s primary election activities on Tuesday.

On Monday, three candidates filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, demanding the court order him to allow the groups to see the tabulation, aggregation, verification and reporting of election results.

In a Tuesday decision, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville initially said Georgia law entitles the groups to observe such activities. But later in the day, he voided the temporary restraining order that would have allowed the oversight, nullifying his previous approval.

The new order says the petitioners didn’t comply with state law when seeking expedited injunctive relief. A new hearing has been set for May 28 at 1 p.m.

In the original petition, the plaintiffs — 11th District U.S. Congressional candidate Chris Mora, state senator and lieutenant governor candidate Greg Dolezal, and Cobb County Commission candidate Keli Gambrill — emphasized an election night meeting that takes place at an alleged “secret bunker” run by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

“Denying poll watchers access would irreparably alter the current transparent status of the elections system, violating statutory rights of all Petitioners ... and undermining public confidence,” the petition argued.

The plaintiffs also argued that, as a Republican candidate for governor, Raffensperger has a conflict of interest.

READ THE PETITION:

In a statement, the plaintiffs claimed attorneys for Raffensperger demanded five days to respond. The plaintiffs’ attorney, David Oles, sought a quicker decision from Glanville, “since all candidate petitioners will suffer irreparable harm in a delayed decision.”

U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, who replaced Marjorie Taylor Greene as the 14th congressional district’s Capitol Hill representative in April, also wrote a letter to Congress on Monday, requesting that congressional observers monitor the election reporting process, including the election night reporting room.

“As you know, there have been concerns in recent years about the administration of elections and lack of transparency in my home state of Georgia,” he wrote. “I believe that all Georgians deserve to have confidence in election transparency in our state.”

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First as we learn more.

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