Judge protects poll watchers and State Election Board observers in battleground state
People arrive at Metropolitan Library to cast their vote during the Georgia Midterm Primary Election in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer

A Fulton County judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday, forcing Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office to allow poll watchers and State Election Board observers to monitor election result tabulation and reporting.

Greg Bluestein, the chief political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shared the news on X.

Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville granted the order, requiring designated observers to be permitted access to "the tabulation, aggregation, verification, and reporting of election results" at the Secretary of State's central office and Election Night Reporting Room. The court order mandates that Raffensperger's office cannot restrict or exclude state election board-designated observers, monitors, or authorized representatives.

Observers must be granted what is described as "proximity and vantage points from which they can meaningfully observe all activities without interfering with the orderly conduct of election operations."

The ruling ensures transparency in Georgia's primary election results processing during the midterm voting cycle.

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