The Republican National Committee (RNC) is celebrating after Republican poll watchers were allowed into election offices in four blue-leaning counties for extended absentee voting hours this weekend, according to the party’s chairman, Michael Whatley.
Federal and state Republican groups had threatened to sue Fulton County on Friday night after it and Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties announced that several election offices would be open this weekend for people to turn in their ballots. in absentia in person.
Republicans also accused Fulton County of not allowing public observers into those open venues on weekends, which Whatley and Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said was against observer laws. Peach State elections.
“Following our efforts, our poll watchers have been able to enter the building in all four Georgia counties. Our lawsuit regarding which offices remain open is still pending, but we have our eyes on the room as the votes are counted,” Whatley wrote on X “We will continue our aggressive efforts to enforce Georgia law and protect the vote.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the four relevant county governments for comment.
Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former President Trump, posted on X: “Georgia Update: Working with the [Georgia Secretary of State] and [state Attorney General]”We have been able to confirm that our observers will be allowed into the room while these ballots are processed.”
The alleged exclusion of poll watchers from weekend absentee ballot submission hours was not limited to just the Republican Party. It included all observers, Republicans said.
An RNC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that having public poll watchers over the weekend benefited both Republicans and Democrats, but argued their absence would hurt the GOP more in left-leaning areas.
The spokesperson said the RNC worked with Georgia election officials to ensure access for election observers.
Fulton County includes the city of Atlanta, while DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb counties make up the suburbs of Georgia’s capital. All four were instrumental in President Biden turning Georgia less than 1% blue in 2020.
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President Biden won the state by less than 1% in 2020. (Getty Images)
Friday night’s threatened lawsuit came after the state Republican Party learned that election officials planned to open four election offices this weekend “to accommodate voters seeking to return their absentee ballots in person.” .
“This is a blatant violation of Georgia law … which states that ‘all drop boxes shall be closed at the end of the early voting period,'” the Georgia Republican Party said in a statement Friday night.
“To make matters worse, all four election offices are located in areas of the county that will clearly favor Democratic candidates.”
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The drop boxes are a way for voters to drop off their absentee ballots at election offices without human contact, which is different than submitting them in person at the office itself.
The drop boxes were available during Georgia’s early voting period, from October 15 to November 1.
But Republicans argue that extended hours for submitting absentee ballots over the weekend are against state rules.
Meanwhile, Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to sow chaos and uncertainty in Georgia’s election processes, particularly in blue-leaning counties like Cobb and Fulton.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, is also investing enormous resources in the state. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)
NPR reporter Stephen Fowler wrote in X about the threatened lawsuit: “Several counties are doing it and there is nothing illegal about it; these are not mailboxes.”
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It comes after a Fulton County Superior Court judge rejected Republicans’ attempt to force the county to hire more Republican poll workers for Election Day on Tuesday.
State, federal and local Republican parties accused the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections of not hiring enough Republican poll workers. They allege that nine of 45 qualified applicants were hired to help with early voting, while only six of 62 were hired for Election Day, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Judge Kevin Farmer said the case would be examined further, but declined to order emergency measures to force more Republican poll workers in before Tuesday.
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