Efforts to remove voters from Georgia’s electoral rolls have surged in recent months, but so far, few have been removed despite a push from Republicans.
Since Jul. 1, over 63,000 voters across Georgia have faced challenges to their eligibility, according to an Associated Press review.
This marks a significant increase compared to the 18,000 challenges brought in the first half the year.
However, barely one percent of those challenged have been removed or placed in a “challenged” status. The report suggests county election boards are rejecting the vast majority of claims.
These efforts, driven by allies of former President Donald Trump, aim to address concerns about ineligible voters remaining on the rolls.
Georgia was a focal point of Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud after the 2020 presidential race.
Forsyth election board considers challenges to the eligibility of 800 voters at the Forsyth County Voter Registrar in Cumming, Georgia, Jun. 28, 2024. This area accounts for 80 percent of voters placed in “challenged” status or removed since the challenges began.
Jamie Spaar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
Georgia’s first day of early voting on Monday in saw a record-breaking turnout of 328,000 people—almost double the number of the 2020 election.
Representatives from the GOP argue that keeping ineligible voters on the list could lead to fraud and dilute legitimate votes.
“When ineligible voters remain on the voter rolls, it increases the likelihood of those persons voting in our county, which dilutes the legitimate votes of our citizens,” said Marci McCarthy, chair of the DeKalb County Republican Party.
“Every vote by an ineligible voter robs us as citizens of our vote.”
Challengers rely on tools including EagleAI and True the Vote’s IV3—which use change-of-address lists and other data—to identify potentially ineligible voters.
These methods have come under fire from opponents, who claim they rely on outdated or flawed information.
“EagleAI is a third-party program that scrapes the internet that was reviewed by county election offices as being worse than the programs that they have already,” said Democratic State Rep. Saira Draper.
“We are amplifying lies and misunderstandings, fundamental misunderstandings, of how election law works.”
People leave after voting in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, the first day of early in-person voting in Georgia. Tools like EagleAI and True the Vote’s IV3 are being used to identify potentially ineligible voters, though critics say they rely on flawed or outdated data.
AP Photo/Jeff Amy
The process has since drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department.
In September, the department issued guidance that seeks to limit challenges and potentially block parts of a new Georgia law that took effect in July.
The law makes it easier for counties to remove voters but conflicts with federal protections for maintaining voter rolls.
Federal law restricts states from making systematic changes to voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
This has caused some Republican-led counties to delay action on challenges until after the deadline, while others, including Forsyth County, have moved ahead.
Forsyth County alone accounts for 80 percent of the voter removals or those with a challenged status upheld since Jul. 1.
State Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, makes public comment against new proposed rules during a Georgia Election Board meeting at the Capitol in Atlanta on Sep. 20, 2024. The U.S. Justice Department has intervened, issuing guidance aimed at limiting voter challenges and potentially blocking parts of Georgia’s new voting law.
Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
At a State Election Board meeting on Oct. 8, Executive Director Mike Coan expressed frustration with counties dismissing challenges, suggesting the process is providing “a free public service for our state” by helping clean up the rolls.
He suggested that some counties were not fulfilling their legal duties.
“There are thousands and thousands of challenges that have been dismissed arbitrarily,” Coan said.
But many voters see the process as ineffective.
At a Bryan County hearing on Oct. 10, a crowd of angry residents cheered when challenges were dismissed because the challenger didn’t appear.
“I’m frustrated with this entire process,” said Michael Smith, a resident.
“I’m frustrated that our state passed a poorly thought-out law that required and allowed somebody to do this to all of us.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
