Georgia’s election scene is heating up, but it’s not about candidates this time. Instead, the buzz is all about how votes get tallied, bringing back memories of past disputes.
A fresh idea from the State Election Board has sparked a fiery debate. The plan? Bring back hand-counting of ballots on Election Day. It’s an old-school approach that’s got some folks cheering and others worried.
Sharlene Alexander, who helps run elections in Fayette County, is pushing for the change. She says hand-counting used to be the norm in her neck of the woods and beyond. But in 2022, state officials put a stop to it.
“We’ve been doing it this way for years,” Alexander explained. “It’s part of our tradition.”
The new rule would have poll workers count votes the old-fashioned way. Three workers would team up, sorting ballots into piles of 50. They’d keep at it until their count matched the voting machine’s tally.
But not everyone’s on board with this blast from the past. Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s top election boss, isn’t having it. He called the idea “misguided” and warned it could cause big headaches.
“Our lawmakers set things up for quick results,” Raffensperger said. “This plan could slow everything down and make a mess of how we keep ballots safe.”
Raffensperger is no stranger to election controversies. Back in 2020, he faced heat from supporters of then-President Donald Trump. They wanted him to verify signatures on mail-in ballots, arguing it would uncover fraud. Raffensperger chose to recount the votes instead.
This decision didn’t sit well with many conservatives. They felt that just counting the same ballots again didn’t address worries about whether those votes were legit to begin with.
Some see the new hand-counting proposal as a way to boost confidence in elections. They argue it could help prevent the kind of doubts that cropped up in 2020.
As the Peach State gets ready for future elections, this debate shows just how tricky it can be to balance tradition, speed, and trust in the voting process. No matter which way the board leans on August 19, it’s clear that Georgians are paying close attention to every twist and turn in their election system.
