Stanley Dunlap, Georgia Recorder

This story was updated at 9:15 p.m Tuesday, Oct. 22, to include additional reaction to the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision.

The Georgia Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon declined the Republican National Committee’s request to pause a trial court’s decision to block new Georgia State Election Board rules from taking effect for the Nov. 5 general election.

The state Supreme Court issued the order rejecting the emergency motion filed by the Georgia Republican Party and Republican National Committee requesting that the court fast-track the reinstatement of several State Election Board requirements that were ruled to be illegal and unconstitutional by a lower court judge last week. ...

The ongoing fight over the recent attempted makeover of how counties run elections by the Georgia State Election Board could be left up to the state’s highest court to decide whether the panel overstepped its authority.

The Georgia Republican Party and the National Republican Committee are requesting the Georgia Supreme Court to make a final call on whether a slew of new requirements will be enforced by the state with just over two weeks until Election Day. The GOP’s lawyers aim to overturn a Fulton County judge’s ruling Wednesday that blocks the State Election Board from enacting several new rules for the Nov. 5 general election unless the state Supreme Court rules otherwise.

Several Republican groups filed a notice of appeal Thursday directly with the Georgia Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not to take up the case. The once obscure election board is now drawing attention across the nation with its rules potentially swinging the presidential election contest between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. ...

Georgia State Election Board officials will seek assistance from the state Legislature to establish clearer guidelines for maintaining accurate voter lists following a tense debate Tuesday over mass voter challenges.

The board voted Tuesday to ask state lawmakers to update rules so that it would be more difficult for county election boards to methodically reject thousands of challenges to voters’ eligibility that are increasingly being filed across the state.

State Election Board Executive Director Mike Coan presented findings of an investigation into voter challenges in several metro Atlanta counties, revealing systematic denials, particularly of challenges filed in large batches. ...

An investigation into allegations that several county election boards are failing to properly investigate challenges disputing voter eligibility is on the agenda of the controversial Georgia State Election Board on Tuesday.

The State Election Board will hold its final scheduled meeting Tuesday ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, where rules adopted by three members loyal to former President Donald Trump are facing legal challenges.

On Tuesday, the executive director of the Election Board, Mike Coan, is set to present the findings of an investigation into allegations that eight election boards in counties led by Democrats are improperly dismissing complaints about the eligibility of tens of thousands of voters. ...

The Georgia State Election Board voted Monday to investigate claims that several county election boards are failing to properly investigate challenges disputing voter eligibility.

Three State Election Board members loyal to former President Donald Trump agreed to request that the board’s executive director look into whether eight election boards in counties led by Democrats are improperly dismissing complaints questioning if tens of thousands of voters are eligible to vote.

The mass voter challenge controversy has been a mainstay in Georgia over the last several years since the feverish push to overturn the 2020 presidential election results after Trump narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes. ...