Georgia’s Fulton County reprimanded by election board after double counting ballots in 2020 presidential election, 2024 monitor appointed

The board voted 2-1 to reprimand the county, as well as appoint an independent monitor to oversee the 2024 election, according to the Georgia Recorder. The decision allows the county to avoid paying a fine or have the attorney general investigate.

3,075 ballots were found to have been double-counted and other irregularities reported, but investigators with the Georgia Secretary of State said they were unable to determine how many of the invalid ballots were included in the results that were used to certify the 2020 election.

Joe Biden flipped the state in 2020, winning by just under 12,000 votes.

Fulton County’s initial results found that Trump received 137,240 votes out of 524,659 and Biden received 381,144. A recount requested by Trump’s lawyers resulted in Trump gaining seven votes and Biden losing 932 votes.

Election board member Ed Lindsey Jr. brought forth the motion to reprimand the county and appoint a monitor. If the state election officials and officials with Fulton County fail to agree on who to appoint as the monitor, Lindsey said he would recommend to the board in July that the board as the state attorney general take up the case.

“My purpose here is not to let it ride but to move this matter forward so that we can have some assurance regarding the 2024 election,” said Lindsey.

State Election Board member Janice Johnston voted against the motion, saying that a deeper investigation needed to be carried out on Fulton’s election operations.

“With over 140 violations of election laws and rules, it would be a travesty not to refer this to the Attorney General and let this ride,” she said.

An investigation was opened by the Georgia Secretary of State after a complaint was filed in July 2022 by Georgia resident Joseph Rossi and Texas activist Kevin Moncla. They alleged that the county failed to correctly conduct a machine recount, and that there were other irregularities with the 2020 election.

The complaint stated that the county is missing more than 17,000 ballot images which were requested for inspection from the 2020 election.