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Democrats sue to block new Georgia election rule requiring hand counting of ballots
National and Georgia state Democrats filed suit Monday to block a rule adopted 10 days ago by the Georgia State Election Board that would require hand counting of ballots in the election in November.
“The rule violates Georgia law for numerous reasons,” the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party of Georgia wrote in their complaint, adding that it could introduce “uncertainty” into the effort to tally votes and delay certification of the state’s election results.
The board, which has a newly minted pro-Trump majority, approved a requirement on Sept. 20 that ballots be counted by hand after machines tally the votes. The rule would require trios of precinct poll managers and poll officers to unseal ballot boxes and count the ballots by hand individually to ensure the tallies match the machine-counted ballot totals.
In their lawsuit, Democrats asked a Georgia court to “swiftly block the rule’s implementation before it can go into effect and wreak havoc on the general election.”
In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris’ principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks noted that some top Georgia Republican officials oppose the new hand count rule. The lawsuit cites comments made by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, claiming the new rule was unlikely to survive a legal challenge.
“We agree with Georgia’s Republican Attorney General and Secretary of State: This rule is unproductive and unlawful, and we are fighting it,” Fulks said. “Democrats are stepping in to ensure that Georgia voters can cast their ballots knowing that they will be counted in a free and fair election.”
Representatives for the Georgia State Election Board did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Supporters of the ballot-counting rule say it will increase public trust in elections by making them more transparent.
The Georgia election rules
At the meeting where the hand counting rule was passed earlier this month, a number of people addressed the board, lamenting that the rule could lead to more errors in calculating results. They also spoke of the challenges it would create for poll workers.
“Asking our election asking our election workers to do this on every voting day is asking for errors,” said Kristin Nabers, the state director for the nonpartisan organization All Voting is Local. “I’ve personally watched multiple counties conduct full hand counts over the past year. It’s normal that many times an hour we can expect small errors to be made, the type of thing where someone’s count is off by one or two, this would result in having to count again.”
Nabers had another woman standing next to her at the podium holding a large stack of papers. She said the 1,872 pages represented what a stack of ballots could look like on counting day. “I have someone helping me hold the stack because I was too worried it would fall on the floor and make a mess,” she said. “Like, imagine if those were ballots.”
Barbara Gooby, a poll manager from Chatham County, said the rule could “introduce huge opportunities for chaos, error, voter insecurity and therefore … lawsuits.”
On Monday, Rep. Nikema Williams, the chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, highlighted the role of three members of the election board who, like former President Donald Trump, have questioned the 2020 election results after he lost the state.
“Experts and non-partisan officials across Georgia have warned that this eleventh-hour election rule change will inject chaos, confusion and uncertainty into our elections — but that is exactly the outcome that Donald Trump’s three ‘pit bulls’ for ‘victory’ on the State Election Board want,” Williams said in a statement to CBS News.
During an Aug. 3 rally in Atlanta, Trump pointed out those election board members in the audience and thanked them by name, saying Janice Johnston, Rick Jaffares and Janelle King were “pit bulls” fighting for his cause. He also criticized the other two members of the board, saying “we have a couple of other members that aren’t so good.”
A bench trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday stemming from a separate lawsuit filed by Democrats, claiming two other rules passed by the board this year — on 3-2 votes — would delay certification.
One rule enables local county boards in Georgia’s 159 counties to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying the election results. The second rule allows them “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections.” It also allows them to make sure there are no discrepancies between the number of ballots cast and the number of people who voted.
Trump and others in his orbit were charged with felonies in August 2023 by the Fulton County district attorney, accused of racketeering and other crimes in their effort to overturn the 2020 election. He has denied all allegations. Several of the charges against Trump have since been dropped.
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Israeli military says “targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah has begun
The Israeli military says it has begun a “limited, localized” ground operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
In posts shared on social media, the Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages close to the Israeli border. The targets, it said, pose an “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
It announced that the operation has been planned in recent months and was launched after approval by political leaders. The troop movement comes in the wake of days of Israeli airstrikes which killed the leader of Hezbollah and a number of the group’s commanders in Beirut.
“The ground forces are accompanied in an attack effort by the air force and artillery forces,” the statement said, “which attack military targets in the area in a coordinated effort with the ground forces fighters.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
CBS News
Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Casino partially evacuated after 2 “crude” explosive devices found
Two explosive devices were discovered hidden at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday and Monday, prompting partial evacuations, the police said Monday.
The devices were deactivated and removed from the premises, the Seminole Police Department said in a statement.
The first “crude concealed device with fireworks components” was found in a men’s room next to the casino shortly before midnight on Sunday night. The device was “quickly deactivated with cooperation and support from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Disposal Team,” the police said. “Part of the casino was immediately evacuated, then reopened about 3 a.m., after the device was deactivated and removed.”
During the investigation prompted by the first device, a second concealed explosive was discovered in a men’s room shortly after noon on Monday in the mezzanine area of the casino, the Seminole Police Department said. The mezzanine area was evacuated and the second device was also deactivated and removed with help from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Bomb Disposal Team.
The Seminole Police Department said it was working with the FBI and reviewing surveillance video as part of the ongoing investigation.
All areas of the casino have reopened, police said Monday.
CBS News
Port workers at East and Gulf Coast terminals steam toward a strike for the first time since 1977
U.S. ports along the East and Gulf Coasts are set to close on Tuesday, with the union representing tens of thousands of dockworkers and an industry group representing port operators and shipping companies at loggerheads over a new labor contract.
Experts warn that prolonged work stoppage could lead to higher costs on goods around the nation and create shortages ahead of the holiday shopping season. A one-week strike could cost the economy nearly $3.8 billion and increase the cost of consumer goods, according to the Conference Board, which called the situation a “political minefield” given that it comes just ahead of the November presidential election.
Other estimates of the potential economic hit also suggest the strike could take a toll, although the losses would likely amount to a small fraction of the nearly $29 trillion U.S. economy.
“A port strike could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars a day, hurting American businesses, workers and consumers across the country,” Business Roundtable CEO Joshua Bolten said in a statement this weekend. “We urge both sides to come to an agreement before Monday night’s deadline.”
Such a breakthrough seemed unlikely as of late Monday afternoon.
The contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents the ports and ocean carriers, expires at midnight Monday. A strike is set to officially kick off as of 12:01 Eastern Time on Tuesday, according to the ILA.
The two sides haven’t been at the bargaining table since June, and as of Monday afternoon there was little sign that they were set to resume talks.
A total of 14 ports involving some 25,000 workers could be affected by the strike, according to USMX: Baltimore; Boston; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami; Houston; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Philadelphia; Savannah, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; and Wilmington, Delaware.
The ILA is demanding sizable wage hikes and a complete ban on the use of automated cranes, gates and container-moving trucks in unloading or loading freight at ports handling about half of the country’s ship cargo.
“The ocean carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA longshore workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the union said in a statement on Monday.
USMX did not immediately return a request for comment.
If a strike were deemed to threaten national health or safety, under the Taft-Hartley Act President Joe Biden could seek a court order requiring an 80-day cooling-off period. But Biden administration officials have repeatedly said he would not take to action to prevent a strike and that the contract dispute should be resolved through collective bargaining.
“Senior officials have been in touch with USMX representatives urging them to come to a fair agreement fairly and quickly — one that reflects the success of the companies. Senior officials have also been in touch with the ILA to deliver the same message,” White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson said.
With the first strike by the ILA at East and Gulf Coast cargo terminals since 1977 seemingly imminent, officials in New York and New Jersey have been working to minimize any potential supply-chain disruptions, setting up trucks to transport food and medical supplies.
Fuels like home heating oil and diesel gas are transported in ways that wouldn’t be impacted by a strike, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference on Monday, although she noted that the “potential for disruption is significant.”
New York does not expect shortages of essential goods anytime soon, so there’s no need to run to the grocery store and stockpile goods as occurred during the pandemic, Hochul said. Although there might be shortages of individual food items. such as bananas, should a strike persist longer than a few weeks, the state would continue to get food shipments from major markets including Canada, California and Mexico, as well as from New York itself, the governor added.
The automobile industry could feel a more immediate impact, however, with Hochul cautioning would-be buyers to call ahead.
“If you’re expecting a new car this week, it may be something you want to check with your dealer. It may not be arriving, for example, in the next few weeks,” she warned.
