Like similar entities in other states, Georgia’s elections board was established to be an independent agency that determines voting rules and issues guidance for poll workers to maintain order and integrity in elections without consideration of their political impact.
But the board’s new right-wing majority has instead aligned itself with the goals of conservative activists, drawing rebukes even from the Republican secretary of state. For example, the board this month issued a new rule that could empower local officials to refuse or delay certification of a county’s election results they deem questionable.
The majority also requested another investigation by the state attorney general into questions of impropriety in the 2020 election in Fulton County, allegations that have already been investigated on multiple occasions….
In July, Mr. McKoon sent Mr. Jeffares two new proposed rules — one on poll watchers and one on results reporting requirements — as well as one-page talking points for each rule, according to email records obtained by The New York Times. Mr. McKoon included Josh Helton, a senior adviser for election integrity at the Republican National Committee, and Alex Kaufman, a Republican lawyer in Georgia, on the emails. The newsletter American Doom first reported the emails.
Mr. McKoon, in an interview, said the state party regularly reaches out to the board on ways to improve elections. “Of course, I’m going to interact with and contact members of the board to advocate for that position,” Mr. McKoon said. “I don’t think I would be doing this volunteer job correctly if I was not doing that.”
Board members themselves have been active in meetings of the right-wing election activist network. Ms. Johnston has attended at least three virtual meetings of the Election Integrity Network, the sprawling activist coalition helmed by the Republican lawyer Cleta Mitchell, according to recordings of the meetings obtained by The Times….