Georgia board may review, take over Fulton County elections
ATLANTA – Georgia's State Election Board on Wednesday took a step toward a possible eventual takeover of elections in the state's most populous county under a process outlined in the state's sweeping new voting law that critics argue could open elections up to political interference.
The board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a bipartisan, three-person review panel to investigate the handling of elections in Fulton County, a Democratic bastion that includes most of the city of Atlanta.
The county has long been a target for Republicans. Their attacks increased after former President Donald Trump baselessly claimed that fraud in the county contributed to his narrow loss in the state. An independent monitor found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
GOP lawmakers last month asked the board to appoint the performance review panel, initiating the process that could allow the Republican-controlled state board to replace the county's board of registration and elections with an administrator it chooses.
Fulton County accounts for about 11% of the state's electorate and President Joe Biden won nearly 73% of votes cast there in the November election. The county is about 45.5% white, 44.5% Black and about 7.6% people of Asian descent, according to U.S. Census data.
Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts said the effort to take over the county's elections is driven by false claims of fraud pushed by Trump and his supporters.