(The Center Square) — A group of Georgia elected officials has joined a coalition that includes civil rights leaders and clergy in calling on the governor to remove three members of the State Election Board for conduct they believe violates state law.
Last week, state Sen. Nabila Islam-Parks, D-Lawrenceville, said her office sent a letter to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's office requesting that Janice Johnston, Janelle King and Rick Jefferies be removed from the commission, alleging they violated the commission's ethics code and the state's open meetings law in passing new election rules.
“Recently, I filed a formal complaint against three members of the Georgia State Election Commission for violating the very principles they are sworn to uphold,” the state senator said in a statement Monday. “These violations are not merely legal technicalities; they undermine the very heart of our democracy and the confidence Georgians have in our election system. … Their actions undermine the will of the people, and we cannot stand by idly while they subvert our democratic process.”
Senate Democrats said the governor has the authority to remove members of the State Election Board, in response to reports that Kemp had asked Attorney General Chris Carr for his opinion on whether the governor has the authority. Spokespeople for Kemp and Attorney General Carr did not respond to requests for comment.
Elections have been a hot topic in the Peach State since the 2020 presidential election, with the state Legislature passing several election measures, including the high-profile Senate Bill 202, also known as the Election Integrity Act of 2021. Earlier this month, the Georgia Elections Commission Approved A measure that would allow county election boards to conduct “reasonable investigations” before certifying election results.
Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon pushed back against Democrats' claims in a marketing email, saying the lawmakers' “comments are dangerous.”
“While these rule changes do not in any way infringe on anyone's right to vote or place undue burdens on elections staff, these measures ensure transparency, accountability, accurate reporting and reconciliation, and the preservation of the right of both parties to oversee the ballot process,” McKoon wrote. “These commonsense changes will benefit all Georgians, regardless of their political affiliation, because they are all designed to increase transparency and public confidence in our elections.”
