A federal judge in Georgia has ruled against ordering several counties to reject absentee ballots that were hand-delivered to polling places over the weekend. The decision came after a lengthy hearing where Judge Stan Baker dismissed Republican claims of improper ballot casting.
During the hearing, Judge Baker emphasized that the additional hours given to voters for dropping off their ballots did not constitute a significant disparity. He criticized the Republican allegations as 'cherry-picking' and stated that discriminating against certain voters to favor a particular candidate would be unfair.
The lawsuit, brought by the Georgia Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, targeted seven counties for allegedly accepting ballots after the end of early voting. However, Judge Baker clarified that the confusion between 'advance voting' and 'absentee voting' led to the misunderstanding, as these are distinct processes outlined in state and federal laws.
Furthermore, Judge Baker suggested that the lawsuit appeared to target counties with a Democratic leaning, rather than addressing any genuine irregularities in the voting process. The accused counties vehemently defended their actions, asserting that they followed standard procedures and had already counted many of the hand-delivered ballots in question.
One attorney representing Cobb County criticized the plaintiffs for being 'willfully blind' and bringing improper arguments to court on the eve of the election. The judge's ruling underscores the importance of upholding fair and transparent election practices, particularly in the face of contentious legal challenges.
