Forum

Federal judges in Georgia dismissed two Republican lawsuits on Thursday—one in Augusta and the second in Atlanta—which challenged absentee ballot rules ahead of the crucial Jan. 5 Senate runoffs, according to reports.

In Augusta, U.S. District Court Judge Randal Hall dismissed a lawsuit that sought to prohibit the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots and ramp up signature verification protocols, amid charges that the current processes increase the likelihood of voter fraud, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In the Augusta lawsuit, the Twelfth District Republicans argued that rules imposed months ago to allow counties to set up ballot drop boxes and let election officials open ballots before Election Day violate state laws and the U.S. Constitution, the report notes. The plaintiffs claimed these rules open the door to potential voter fraud and ballot harvesting. They also argued for stricter rules on signature verification.