Georgia State Election Board creates committee to consider new rules

Georgia's State Election Board members are seen seated at the state Capitol on Aug. 6, 2024 in Atlanta. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Georgia’s State Election Board voted Wednesday to create a committee to weigh proposed election rules before the board takes them under consideration.

Board Chairman John Fervier explained during a public meeting that the purpose of the committee will be to allow “all parties to have a voice in upcoming rules.” He said each of the election board’s five members will select two people to sit on the board and that he’d like to see a mix of election officials, citizens, attorneys and even one or two state lawmakers.

The election board will then be able to send a proposed rule to the committee to “have them vet it and smooth it out” before it comes to the board for a vote, Fervier said. The board is tasked with creating rules consistent with state law that ensure uniformity in election practices and promote the “fair, legal, and orderly conduct” of elections.