Georgia Appeals Court Orders Local Officials to Certify Election Results, Rejecting Refusals
ATLANTA, GA — A state appellate court in Georgia has ruled that local election officials are legally required to certify election results, rejecting claims that they can withhold certification over fraud concerns. The decision stems from a high-profile case in Fulton County, where a Republican election board member had refused to certify the results of the 2024 presidential primary.
The court’s ruling, issued July 2, upholds a prior decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who found that Julie Adams, a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Elections, acted outside her authority when she declined to certify the results.
Court: Certification Is a Legal Duty, Not a Discretion
The ruling, written by appellate Judges Elizabeth Gobeil and Brian Rickman, made clear that while local election superintendents may raise concerns about fraud or errors, those concerns cannot be used to block certification.
“A superintendent is empowered to request and review election documents… and to share concerns about fraud or errors,” the judges wrote, “however, these concerns are not a basis to refuse certification.”
The judges emphasized that election certification is a mandatory administrative task, not subject to personal or political judgment.
Background: Fulton County Board Member Refused to Certify
Julie Adams had argued in court that she had discretionary authority to withhold certification if she believed fraud may have occurred. However, the court found that she overstepped her legal role, and her lawsuit was subsequently dismissed.
The ruling comes amid ongoing disputes over Georgia’s election processes, especially after the State Election Board (SEB) attempted to make several rule changes before the 2024 general election.
State Election Board Rules Also Challenged in Supreme Court
Just weeks before the appellate ruling, the Georgia Supreme Court had struck down four of seven rule changes made by the SEB, arguing the board had exceeded its authority under the state constitution. Those rules had been passed shortly before the 2024 elections and drew legal challenges from civil rights and voter advocacy groups.
A report from the Augusta Chronicle noted that Republican-aligned groups defended the rule changes as efforts to restore confidence in Georgia’s elections following the 2020 controversies.
Despite those defenses, the justices ruled unanimously that such powers belonged to the General Assembly, not the election board.
Political Implications and Electoral Landscape
The certification and rules battles are part of broader disputes over election integrity and access in Georgia. The rejected rule changes had been viewed by Democratic leaders and voting rights organizations as attempts to sow confusion and benefit Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who ultimately won Georgia’s 16 electoral votes during his 2024 White House bid.
Republicans on the State Election Board claimed their aim was to rebuild trust in the process, but critics said the moves resembled a partisan overreach aimed at casting doubt on the democratic system.
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