The legal dispute over Fulton County's handling of the 2020 presidential election ballots continues, following a court ruling that allows the Georgia State Election Board to review the county's 2020 ballots and related records. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney issued the order after the state election board reopened its investigation into the county's electoral process last year, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
During the investigation, Fulton County officials acknowledged issues in the verification of votes during the 2020 election. County attorney Ann Brumbaugh told the Georgia Elections Board at a December 9 meeting that around 130 tabulator tapes, which are important for vote verification, were not signed as required by state law. Brumbaugh confirmed the procedural lapse and noted that some other tabulator tapes had been misplaced.
Following these admissions, the Georgia State Election Board has referred the case to the State Attorney General's Office. Fulton County could face fines of up to $5,000 for each missing or unsigned tabulator tape, as per WRDW. The case comes amid continued national attention on the integrity of the 2020 election.
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts expressed confidence in the county's election process, stating that the elections were open, fair, and transparent, and that every vote was counted. He also noted that Fulton taxpayers would not be responsible for the estimated $400,000 cost of producing the requested documents. The county has been given a January 7 deadline to provide an itemized breakdown of the expenses to process the records.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger addressed concerns over the procedural lapses, emphasizing that clerical errors do not invalidate legal votes. Janelle King, a Republican member of the Elections Board, noted that such errors could range from being sloppy to potentially affecting an election. The Election Board’s unanimous decision to refer the case to the Attorney General’s Office highlights the level of scrutiny surrounding Fulton County’s 2020 election procedures.
