The Georgia State Election Board has approved a significant rule change that requires all ballots in a critical presidential battleground state to be hand-counted this year. The decision could lead to delays in reporting election results by weeks, if not months. Spearheaded by a pro-Trump majority on the board, the new rule has faced criticism from various groups, including democracy advocates, election supervisors, and poll workers.

Despite public outcry and concerns about potential errors and disruptions in the vote certification process, the pro-Trump majority pushed forward with the hand-counting requirement. The change was approved by a 3-2 vote, mandating a hand count to be conducted alongside the customary machine count in each precinct on the night of the November election or the following day.

Many election officials have raised practical concerns, stating that implementing the hand-count requirement at this late stage in the election process is logistically challenging. Critics argue that the new rule could lower the integrity of the elections and create unnecessary chaos. Among the objections are the physical impossibility of hand counting in larger counties, the lack of training for staff, and the financial burden of hiring and training additional workers for the process. Concerns have also been raised about the security risks associated with handling ballots multiple times during the hand-counting procedure.