Oct 16,V7N- A Georgia judge, Robert McBurney, temporarily halted a new rule on Tuesday that would have required poll workers to hand count ballots in the upcoming November 5 election. The ruling is seen as a setback for allies of Donald Trump, who pushed for the rule after his defeat in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election. The rule, passed by a pro-Trump majority on Georgia's election board in September, was presented as a measure to enhance election security and transparency.

Critics, including Democrats, argued that the rule would create chaos and significantly delay the release of results. Early voting for the November election began on Tuesday, and Georgia is expected to be a key battleground in the 2024 presidential contest between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In his ruling, Judge McBurney cited concerns over the uncertainty and disorder that the new rule could introduce just weeks before Election Day. He emphasized that such chaos would undermine the fairness and orderliness of the election process.

The lawsuit against the rule was filed by the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration and supported by the Democratic National Committee. Democrats welcomed the judge's decision, stating that the rule aimed to delay election results and cast doubt on their legitimacy. They viewed the ruling as a win for voters and democracy.

The halted rule would have required three poll workers in each of Georgia’s over 6,500 precincts to conduct hand counts of ballots, in addition to the machine counts. Voting rights groups warned that this could enable rogue election officials to disrupt the certification of results, potentially causing widespread confusion. Even Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, opposed the rule, citing risks of error and fraud.

Despite the judge's ruling, Republican election board members, like Janelle King, defended the hand count proposal, claiming that accuracy should take precedence over speed in determining election results.

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