Democrats sue to block Georgia ballot hand count rule

By Jack Queen

(Reuters) -The Democratic National Committee on Monday sued to block the Georgia Election Board from mandating a hand count of ballots in the Nov. 5 election, saying it could delay reporting of results and sow chaos.

The rule change, approved on a 3-2 vote by allies of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, requires poll workers to hand count ballots to ensure they match the totals counted by machines.

The DNC said in a petition filed in Fulton County court that the change would lead to "significant delays" in reporting vote totals and "wreak havoc" on the election.

“This rule is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Donald Trump and his MAGA lackeys on the Georgia State Election Board to cast doubt on our elections and undermine the outcome," DNC acting Co-Executive Director Monica Guardiola said in a statement.

A Georgia Election Board representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit is the second filed against the board by Democrats in recent weeks.

In August, the DNC sued to block rule changes that empower local election officials in Georgia to investigate results before certifying them.

Democrats say those changes are also aimed at causing delays and sowing uncertainty about the results.

A trial in that case is scheduled to begin in Atlanta on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot)