Republicans attempt to Invalidate the 2023 Municipal Races
A rehearsal for 2024?
November 28, 2023
I hope this story didn’t slip by you, because it’s incredibly consequential. Especially in the context of the upcoming 2024 presidential election and Georgia’s status as a battleground state. Maybe you caught it on Rachel Maddow last night?
Nearly 70,000 DeKalb residents voted in the municipal elections earlier this month. But when it came time for the DeKalb Board of Elections to certify the results–a step required under Georgia law before election results become official and can go into effect–election board members Nancy Jester and Anthony Lewis, voted against certification.
Why? Before casting their “no” votes, Jester and Lewis gave no indication they believed the results of the 2023 municipal races were incorrect. They had every opportunity to raise concerns with election administrators during the election or in the period prior to the certification vote, but did not. When the vote was called and 2 of the 5 board members voted no, there was an audible gasp in the room.
Voting against certification is an extremist, dangerous position. It would be one thing if there was evidence that the outcomes of the races were incorrect. But there was no such evidence.
By voting against certification without evidence of a material issue, Jester and Lewis are eroding trust in our Democracy and laying the groundwork to say the 2024 election–or any future election where they do not want to accept a loss–is rigged or stolen. And the more direct consequence of their vote is that they are trying to disenfranchise the nearly 70,000 DeKalb voters who participated in the municipal elections.
As an astute reader commented on an article in Decaturish on this topic, “Jester and Lewis have made the cynical calculation that, since they are a minority on the board of elections, they can curry favor with their base by casting this vote without causing chaos. Problem is, it allows the Trumpian tactic of never accepting an election loss to bleed down to the local level. Of all the political rabbits that can't be put back into the hat, eroding trust in our democracy without evidence is the biggie.”
And I want to be clear– no one is asking election boards to rubber stamp election results. If there are issues, of course the issues should be raised and thoroughly investigated, particularly when the issues are material. But it is simply not enough for election board members to point to minor glitches or abstractly say that something is “off,” and use that seed of doubt as justification for invalidating entire elections.
In 2024, all 159 Georgia counties will need to certify their county election results before the state can certify Georgia’s totals. Do we have election board members who will uphold their duties independent of partisan pressure? For the sake of democracy, I sure hope so.
Public oversight plays a large part here. The next DeKalb Board of Elections meeting is Monday, December 11. You can attend in person or on zoom, and there is opportunity for public comment. If you feel inclined, let members Jester and Lewis know what you think about their attempt to invalidate your vote.
In service,
Did you find this post helpful? Chip in a few bucks (or better yet, a monthly recurring donation) so I can continue to inform voters.
Contributions to Friends of Saira Draper are not deductible for tax purposes. State law allows individuals, corporations, and Political Action Committees to contribute a maximum of $3,300 for the primary, $1,800 for the runoff, and $3,300 for the general election.
