If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again…
On Friday, a judge cleared the way for a recount of the 145,000 absentee ballots cast in Fulton County, Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. (Joe Biden won the state and the presidency – a fact that Donald Trump and his supporters refuse to accept.)
The ruling involves a lawsuit that alleges there’s evidence of fraudulent ballots and improper counting. The nine plaintiffs – self-described election watchdogs – asked for the absentee ballots. The plan was to transport them to a private facility where they could be photographed and inspected.
Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero denied that request, but green-lit the recount as long as the ballots stay in the possession of county officials. The exact details are to be determined and the plaintiffs must finance it.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution provides more details:
The latest Georgia review cannot change the election results, which were certified months ago and have already been confirmed by multiple recounts. But the plaintiffs say an examination of ballots would get to the bottom of what they see as suspicious activity at State Farm Arena on election night.
“It is outrageous that Fulton County continues to be a target of those who cannot accept the results from last year’s election,” Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said. “The votes have been counted multiple times, including a hand recount, and no evidence of fraud has been found. The fact remains that Fulton County safely and securely carried out an election in the midst of a public health crisis. It’s a shame to see that the ‘Big Lie’ lives on and could cost the hardworking taxpayers of this county.”
Meanwhile, in Arizona, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said she has “grave concerns” about the GOP-backed audit taking place there. She said the company behind the audit could have tampered with voting machines. “The lack of physical security and transparency means we cannot be certain who accessed the voting equipment and what might have been done to them,” Hobbs said. She wants the state to replace the voting machines in question.
Earlier in the week, the GOP-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors called the audit a “sham” that has reduced Arizona to “a laughingstock.”