The Georgia Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling on Friday that would have required the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to appoint two people who deny that President Donald Trump lost the election in 2020. The local Board of Elections was told they had to appoint the GOP election deniers and when they refused to do so, the GOP claimed that they were breaking the law, explained Democracy Docket in a write-up on the case. One of the nominees, Julie Adams, is part of the far-right Election Integrity Network, DD reported. “The Commissioners argue that the trial court erred when it held them in contempt for not seating Frazier and Adams. Because the trial court interfered with the constitutional prerogative of the Commissioners to appoint public officers, we agree and reverse in both cases,” the ruling said. The law dates back to 1989 and outlines how the Election Board is appointed. The rule is that the two political parties nominate two people for the board, and the board “shall” appoint them. The board decided that the two Democratic nominees were qualified, and the decision about the two GOP election deniers was tabled. Fulton County is the county that covers most of the Atlanta metro area and is notorious for not only being populous but also a stronghold of Democratic voters.The Fulton County election board controversy reflects a broader national strategy by Republicans to gain control over election administration in key Democratic-leaning counties. Since the 2020 presidential election, election denial has become a central organizing principle for a significant faction within the Republican Party, with activists seeking to place sympathetic individuals in positions that oversee voting, ballot counting, and election certification.Fulton County has been a particular target because of its Democratic lean and its role in administering elections in Atlanta, Georgia’s largest city. The county gained national attention during the 2020 election recount and again during efforts to overturn Georgia’s election results. Republicans view control of local election boards as crucial to their broader efforts to challenge election outcomes they oppose.The push to seat election deniers on the Fulton County board is part of a coordinated national movement to reshape election administration from within. Organizations like the Election Integrity Network, with which nominee Julie Adams is affiliated, have systematically recruited and supported candidates who question the legitimacy of recent elections and promote alternative theories about voting procedures.This strategy represents an attempt to normalize election denial at the operational level, potentially giving skeptics of election results positions of actual authority over future elections.
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