Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “With a rising drumbeat of criticism, several Republican Georgia legislators are building a case for the state government to take over Fulton County elections. The newfound power to fire local elections management, created by Georgia’s voting law, worries voting rights advocates, who say it could be abused for partisan purposes to tamper with the heavily Democratic county. They see a threat predicated on relentless attacks – from former President Donald Trump to state lawmakers – that point to problems both real and imagined in the county. Though a state monitor reported sloppy management, three counts of Fulton’s ballots arrived at similar results and state election investigators haven’t found fraud.”

“Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election, but the Republican and his followers said he was robbed and they targeted Fulton County for much of their ire. Judges have thrown out several lawsuits claiming the presidential election was stolen. Under the new voting law that the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed this year, the State Election Board could replace a county’s election board after a performance review, audit or investigation, giving a temporary superintendent full authority over vote counting, polling places and staffing. ‘What happens if this one single election superintendent refuses to certify any of Fulton’s votes in future elections?’ Maggie Goldman, a Johns Creek real estate agent running for the County Commission, asked during public comment at a recent commission meeting. ‘That would truly be disenfranchising voters. And don’t think it can’t happen.’ Lawmakers are demanding answers from Fulton, with the possibility that unsatisfactory responses could start the takeover process.”