The Republican National Committee (RNC) is intensifying its efforts to police election procedures ahead of the midterms, filing lawsuits that challenge absentee ballot collection practices in two of Georgia’s most populous counties.
The RNC and Georgia Republican Party filed separate lawsuits Thursday against election officials in Fulton and Gwinnett counties. The complaints allege that county officials violated Georgia law by establishing unauthorized absentee ballot drop-off locations and adopting procedures that weakened ballot security safeguards.
According to the lawsuits, both counties allowed voters to return absentee ballots at locations not authorized by state law. Some voters were allegedly permitted to hand their ballots directly to election workers, who would hold them for later transfer.
“Georgia legislators are responsible for making the state’s election laws, not unelected bureaucrats,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said. “County election boards cannot rewrite those rules by creating unauthorized drop-off locations or weakening safeguards.”
Gruters said the legal action was intended to protect election integrity and ensure that existing laws are enforced consistently.
The RNC partnered with the Georgia GOP, local Republican organizations and Georgia secretary of state candidate Tim Fleming to bring the cases against members of the Fulton and Gwinnett county Boards of Registration and Elections.
At the center of the dispute is Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, commonly known as SB 202. Signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2021, the law revised state election procedures and imposed rules governing absentee voting and ballot drop boxes.
The RNC argues that Fulton and Gwinnett counties created additional absentee ballot collection sites beyond those permitted under SB 202. In Gwinnett County, the challenged policy allegedly allows voters to return absentee ballots directly to election workers instead of designated custodians or approved drop boxes.
Republicans also contend that the counties improperly classified the collection points as “ballot bags,” effectively creating a new absentee ballot return method without authorization from the state legislature.
The complaints allege that the policies do not guarantee poll watchers access during ballot collection, allow ballots to be accepted outside authorized voting hours and permit collection on Election Day. They also claim that poll workers are being allowed to receive absentee ballots despite restrictions in state law.
The RNC says those practices could make it more difficult to maintain a clear chain of custody and ensure that ballots are not lost, mishandled or left unaccounted for.
SB 202 has been the subject of repeated lawsuits from Democrats and voting-rights organizations, which have challenged several of its provisions. The latest cases approach the law from the opposite direction, arguing that county election officials have not followed its requirements strictly enough.
The RNC is asking the courts to stop the challenged ballot collection practices and require both counties to comply with state law. The lawsuits signal that Republicans intend to use litigation aggressively to standardize election procedures and address alleged irregularities before midterm voting begins.
