The appointment by state House of Representatives Speaker Jon Burns of Republican activist Janelle King to the State Elections Board (SEB), a powerful panel that probes allegations of fraud and can also enact election rules, could reshape policies when she replaces attorney/lobbyist Ed Lindsey who has resigned.
This board is the only official body that has the power to protect the security and integrity of the November elections. This is especially true since conservative voters, often in coalition with some Democrats, are seeking changes and enforcement of the election code due to past abuses. (Insiders say a main reason why Lindsey stepped down was due to mounting criticism over some of his board votes or inaction.)
For example, plaintiffs in the long-running Curling case are aligned with conservative grassroots voters on steps they say are needed to secure a verifiable election in November. They argue that the board should use its broad discretion to establish new rules due to unanticipated complications with regard to the security of the state’s touchscreen voting system.
Juust before Lindsey resigned and King was named his replacement, there was a lot of SEB drama. Chairman John Fervier ruled motions out of order when two board members attempted for the second time to refer Fulton County 2020 electronic vote processing violations involving tens of thousands of ballots to the attorney general for investigation and prosecution. GOP member Rick Jeffares made a reconsideration motion to refer evidence of failure to provide or retain 173 required documents involving 20,713 certified votes that have no source tabulator. And Republican SEB member Dr. Janice Johnston made a similar reconsideration motion to refer evidence of failure to provide or retain over 17,852 ballot images for certified votes.
Fervier, though, ruled Jeffares out of order, “since it was not properly initiated and noticed and placed on the agenda.” And he ruled Johnston out of order by claiming her motion “was not properly noticed and placed on the agenda.” However, longtime observers note that the SEB has never required motions to be placed on the agenda before they are made.
Also, Johnston previously made a series of original motions in an attempt to have the Fulton’s election results corrected for accuracy and have the cited violations investigated by Attorney General Chris Carr. Although referral is a routine practice for even one or two minor violations, all of her motions for the SEB2023-025 complaint failed. Why? She was unable to get a second for them.
These and other examples of SEB divisions are why King’s ascension to the board could have a profound impact one way or another.
As this is written, no date has been set for King to be sworn in.
