**Democrats Sue Georgia State Election Board Over Controversial Hand-Count Rule**

In a significant escalation of the legal tussle over election regulations in Georgia, the Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against the state's GOP-controlled Election Board. The lawsuit challenges a recently approved rule mandating counties to manually count ballots cast at polling places on Election Day, which critics argue could precipitate post-election chaos and unfounded claims of election fraud.

The lawsuit, backed by Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, asserts that the new hand-counting requirement conflicts with existing state laws. Furthermore, the complaint highlights that the Election Board acted beyond its authority by approving the rule. The rule was passed earlier this month through a narrow 3-2 vote by the board, with three allies of former President Donald Trump voting in favor.

Lawyers representing the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Georgia argue that implementing hand-counting at this late stage would disrupt election procedures. "Large counties will face significant reporting delays," they stated, adding that the rule would impose unmanageably new procedures on election officials and poll workers without adequate training. The complaint further warns of potential risks to ballot security and the overall orderly conduct of the general election.

The Democratic Party stresses that delays and disorganization caused by the rule could enable bad-faith actors to allege election fraud, ultimately eroding public confidence, particularly in the results favoring Democratic candidates.

This legal move comes despite prior warnings from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's office. Carr, a Republican, had advised the Election Board that the new rule likely violated state law and would be susceptible to legal challenges. "These proposed rules are not tethered to any statute and are the type of impermissible legislation that agencies cannot enact," Carr's office cautioned, suggesting that the rules would likely be invalidated by a judge.

Concern over the timing of the new rules was also expressed by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican, who indicated that it was too late to implement such changes for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.

Meanwhile, another lawsuit filed by Democrats is set to go to trial. This separate case contests two additional rules passed by Trump loyalists on the state Election Board in August. These rules mandate county election officials to undertake a "reasonable inquiry" into election results before certifying them and grant them the authority to examine all election-related documentation generated during elections.

As these legal battles unfold, the gravity of the situation underscores the contentious atmosphere surrounding election regulations and the intense scrutiny they attract in Georgia.