A series of emails obtained and first reported by The Guardian reveal a network of Georgia election officials actively working to cast doubt on the integrity of upcoming elections, months before any votes are cast. These communications, obtained through a public records request, show ties between these local officials and national election denial groups.
📧 What’s Happening:
The emails, shared by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and reviewed by The Guardian, expose the workings of the Georgia Election Integrity Coalition, a group comprising local election officials and national election denial advocates. The group includes prominent figures such as:
- David Hancock, a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Elections and a vocal election denier.
- Michael Heekin, a Fulton County elections board member who has refused to certify election results.
- Julie Adams, who has ties to the Tea Party Patriots and the Election Integrity Network, and has also refused to certify results multiple times.
- Debbie Fisher from Cobb County, Nancy Jester from DeKalb County, and Roy McClain from Spalding County, all of whom refused to certify election results last November.
🛑 Why It Matters: As Georgia plays a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential race, efforts by local officials to undermine confidence in election results could sow distrust among voters and lead to further challenges in ensuring a fair election.
🕵️ Between the Lines: These officials are not working in isolation. The group is connected to national organizations, including the Election Integrity Network led by Cleta Mitchell, a former Trump attorney. Their goal? Push policies that would give local officials more power to refuse certification of results and promote unverified claims of voter fraud.
- In one instance, Hancock coordinated with Garland Favorito, a leading election denial activist in Georgia, to discuss resisting certification demands from Democrats.
📅 Catch Up Quick: This coordinated effort comes after several Georgia counties refused to certify results in the 2022 elections, citing baseless fraud claims. Emails show these officials are planning to resist certification in future elections, which they have now been given the greenlight to do by the State Elections Board which is now comprised of a majority of Trump-supporting members.
🌍 The Big Picture: Georgia’s election process remains in the spotlight as these efforts continue to undermine public trust. With the 2024 election approaching, the involvement of key election officials in these schemes raises concerns about the integrity of the upcoming vote. Their actions could ripple across the national political landscape, further polarizing an already divided electorate.
🧐 Ask Yourself: How would you feel if Democratic officials were coordinating in a similar manner to challenge election results?
