Republicans score victory in Georgia fight over election observers, RNC chairman says

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is celebrating after GOP poll watchers were allowed into four blue-leaning counties' election offices for extended absentee ballot hours this weekend, according to party Chair Michael Whatley.

Federal and state GOP groups had threatened to sue Fulton County late Friday after it and the counties of Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett announced several election offices would be open this weekend for people to turn in absentee ballots in person. 

Republicans also accused Fulton County of not allowing any public observers into those locations open on the weekends, which Whatley and Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon argued was against the Peach State's election observer laws.

"Following our efforts, our poll watchers have now been let into the building in all four Georgia counties. Our lawsuit over the offices remaining open is still pending, but we have eyes in the room as votes are being counted," Whatley wrote on X. "We will continue our aggressive efforts to enforce Georgia law and protect the vote."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the four relevant county governments for comment.

RNC co-chair Lara Trump, former President Trump's daughter-in-law, posted on X, "Update on Georgia - working with the [Georgia Secretary of State] and [state Attorney General], we have been able to confirm that our observers WILL be allowed in the room while these ballots are being processed."

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said on X, "We're pleased that Fulton County has implemented our requirement allowing monitors in the spirit of Georgia law. But we are concerned that this was ever a question in the first place."

The alleged exclusion of poll watchers from the weekend absentee ballot submission hours was not limited to just the GOP. It included all observers, Republicans said.

An RNC spokesperson told Fox News Digital having public poll observers through the weekend benefited both Republicans and Democrats but argued their absence would hurt the GOP more in left-leaning areas.

The spokesperson said the RNC worked with Georgia election officials to secure access for poll observers.

Fulton County includes the city of Atlanta, while DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb counties make up the Georgia capital's suburbs. All four were critical to President Biden flipping Georgia blue by less than 1% in 2020.

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The Friday night lawsuit threat came after the state GOP learned that election officials planned to open four election offices this weekend "to accommodate voters seeking to hand-return their absentee ballots."

"This is a blatant violation of Georgia law … which states 'all drop boxes shall be closed when the advance voting period ends,'" the Georgia GOP said in a statement late Friday.

"To make matters worse, the four election office locations are situated in areas of the county that will clearly favor Democrat candidates."

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Drop boxes are a way for voters to turn in their absentee ballots at election offices without human contact, which is different from submitting them in person at the office itself.

Drop boxes were available through Georgia's early voting period, from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1.

But Republicans are arguing that the extended hours for turning in absentee ballots over the weekend run afoul of the state's rules.

Raffensperger said in a statement that counties are allowed to accept absentee ballots turned into their offices in-person if they choose.

"Under state law, election officials can receive absentee ballots in person at govt facilities if the county chooses. Several counties have chosen to do this. We are working with the counties and the political parties to ensure this is done transparently and within Georgia law," Raffensperger said.

Meanwhile, Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to sow chaos and uncertainty in Georgia's election processes, particularly in blue-leaning counties like Cobb and Fulton.

NPR reporter Stephen Fowler wrote on X of the lawsuit threat, "Multiple counties are doing it, and there's nothing illegal about it - these aren't drop boxes."

It comes after a Fulton County Superior Court judge rejected Republicans' bid to force the county to hire more Republican poll workers for Election Day on Tuesday.

State, federal and local Republican parties accused the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections of not hiring enough GOP poll workers. They alleged that nine out of 45 qualified applicants were hired to help with early voting, while just six of 62 were hired for Election Day, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Judge Kevin Farmer said the case would be looked at further but declined to order emergency measures to force more Republican poll workers in by Tuesday.

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