American Oversight Demands Release of Communications Between Georgia State Election Board Members and Fulton County

American Oversight this week sent a letter to Georgia’s Fulton County demanding the release of county officials’ communications with Trump-allied members of the State Election Board (SEB) and election denial activists, including those who were involved in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

The letter comes after a series of anti-democratic moves by the SEB, including allowing local election officials the discretion to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into the election before certifying results, opening the door for delays that could sow confusion and exacerbate distrust. The board’s three far-right members (whom former President Trump has praised as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory”) have also mandated the hand-counting of ballots at each precinct on Election Day and have attempted to force Fulton County to accept the SEB’s election monitors instead of its own, despite having no legal basis to do so. 

Statement from American Oversight Interim Executive Director Chioma Chukwu:

“We saw in 2020 how Fulton County was targeted by those seeking to overturn the election. The people of Georgia have a right to know how partisan SEB members and political operatives are advancing last-minute election rule changes that could have a disproportionate impact on voters in majority-Black precincts. Georgians deserve to know who’s trying to undermine their voice and their vote. Through transparency, we can expose those sowing doubt about our elections and ensure they face accountability. ”

American Oversight’s public records request was submitted nearly three months ago. Under Georgia law, public entities must respond within a “reasonable amount of time,” which must be no longer than three business days. American Oversight has sent multiple emails to Fulton County asking the status of this request, all of which have gone unanswered.