National and state Republicans have filed an appeal against a judge’s ruling that declared seven election rules passed by Georgia’s State Election Board “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.” The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Georgia Republican Party are challenging the decision made by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox, who determined that the State Election Board lacked the authority to implement these rules. Cox ordered the board to notify all state and local election officials that the rules were invalid and should not be enforced.
The rules in question include a requirement for hand-counting ballots after polls close, along with two others related to the certification of election results. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley expressed strong disapproval of Cox’s decision in a statement on Thursday, accusing the judge of “the very worst of judicial activism.”