In a move that might shift the dynamics of voter challenges in Georgia, the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registrations has recently decided to start charging individuals for the administrative costs incurred when they challenge the eligibility of voters. As reported by AP News, the board's ruling, which passed with a 4-1 vote, would require challengers to cover the expenses of printing and mailing notifications to voters whose legitimacy is questioned.
Republicans have been identifying and questioning the validity of voters en masse, with an eye towards purging voter rolls—an effort that critics argue is part of larger strategy by Donald Trump's allies. Most of the individuals targeted are suspected of having relocated without updating their voter registration details. The new Cobb County measure appears to be a response to the thousands of challenges submitted, often facilitated by software like EagleAI and IV3. Meanwhile, Democrats and voting rights advocates believe these efforts are driven by a desire to eliminate Democrats from the rolls or undermine confidence in election outcomes, especially with the 2024 presidential race on the horizon. Debbie Fisher, the lone Republican board member against the new rule, labeled the charge "egregious" and "just wrong," a sentiment echoed by Cobb County Republican Party Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs who, in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, called the board's actions a "disgrace."
It's notable that these charges only cover the mailing of the notices and not the staff time required to process the actual challenges—a point that Daniel White, a lawyer for the board, clarified based on his conclusion of the board's authority under existing state law. Despite the pushback, the monetary cost for challengers, while potentially less than a dollar for each challenged voter, could indeed accumulate. The county's Elections Director, Tate Fall, reported the recent mailing costs for one round of 2,472 challenges at about $1,600.
On another front, the board is also laying down rails on the challenge process itself, particularly by not accepting challenges against individuals already on the inactive voter list. Federal law requires that for a cancellation of an inactive registration to occur, the voter must not respond to a mailing and then fail to vote in two subsequent federal general elections, which can be a lengthy process. Challenges to inactive voters for quicker removal have, until now, been taking advantage of this protracted system. In accordance to an AP News survey, over 18,000 voters in Georgia's largest counties were challenged in 2023 and 2024, though most were not upheld.
Cobb County's decision and similar local policies could have a big impact, especially with new state laws in Georgia making it easier to challenge voter eligibility. This new law is already facing legal challenges for potentially violating federal rules. As counties create their own rules without clear state guidelines, different approaches to these challenges are likely to continue across Georgia.
