The Republican National Committee (RNC) has expressed its satisfaction after GOP poll observers were granted access to four traditionally Democratic counties' election offices during extended absentee ballot hours over the weekend.
The announcement was made by party Chair Michael Whatley, who has been at the forefront of the party's efforts to ensure transparency and adherence to election laws.
As reported by Fox News, the GOP had threatened legal action against Fulton County on Friday, following the county's decision, along with Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties, to keep several election offices open over the weekend. This move was intended to allow voters to submit their absentee ballots in person. However, the GOP accused Fulton County of barring public observers from these locations, a move that Whatley and Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon claimed violated Georgia's election observer laws.
In a triumphant statement, Whatley said, "Following our efforts, our poll watchers have now been let into the building in all four Georgia counties. Our lawsuit over the offices remaining open is still pending, but we have eyes in the room as votes are being counted. We will continue our aggressive efforts to enforce Georgia law and protect the vote."
Fox News Digital reached out to the four relevant county governments for comment but received no immediate response.
Lara Trump, RNC co-chair and former President Trumps daughter-in-law, confirmed the development on social media, stating, "Update on Georgia working with the [Georgia Secretary of State] and [state Attorney General], we have been able to confirm that our observers WILL be allowed in the room while these ballots are being processed."
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also expressed his satisfaction with the decision, stating, "We're pleased that Fulton County has implemented our requirement allowing monitors in the spirit of Georgia law. But we are concerned that this was ever a question in the first place."
The GOP's concerns were not limited to their own observers. They claimed that the exclusion of poll watchers from the weekend absentee ballot submission hours extended to all observers, regardless of party affiliation.
An RNC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that having public poll observers present over the weekend was beneficial for both Republicans and Democrats. However, they argued that their absence would disproportionately affect the GOP, particularly in areas that traditionally lean left.
The counties in question, including Fulton County, which encompasses Atlanta, and DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties, which make up the suburbs of the Georgia capital, were instrumental in President Biden's narrow victory in Georgia in 2020.
The threat of a lawsuit on Friday night was prompted by the GOP's discovery that election officials planned to open four election offices over the weekend "to accommodate voters seeking to hand-return their absentee ballots." The Georgia GOP condemned this as a "blatant violation of Georgia law," which stipulates that all drop boxes should be closed when the advance voting period ends.
The GOP's concerns were further exacerbated by the location of the four election offices, which they claimed were situated in areas that would clearly favor Democratic candidates.
However, Secretary of State Raffensperger clarified that under state law, election officials can receive absentee ballots in person at government facilities if the county chooses to do so. He assured that they were working with the counties and the political parties to ensure this process was transparent and within the confines of Georgia law.
Despite these assurances, Democrats have accused Republicans of attempting to create chaos and uncertainty in Georgia's election processes, particularly in traditionally Democratic counties like Cobb and Fulton. NPR reporter Stephen Fowler dismissed the GOP's lawsuit threat, stating, "Multiple counties are doing it, and there's nothing illegal about it these aren't drop boxes."
This development follows a Fulton County Superior Court judge's decision to reject the Republicans' bid to compel the county to hire more GOP poll workers for Election Day. The GOP had accused the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections of not hiring enough GOP poll workers, alleging that only a fraction of qualified applicants were hired to assist with early voting and on Election Day. However, Judge Kevin Farmer declined to order emergency measures to increase the number of Republican poll workers by Tuesday, stating that the case would be examined further.
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