In one of its first official moves under its new leader, Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee is wading into a lawsuit over Georgia’s much-publicized and still-disputed election rules, including a requirement that ballots be counted by hand.
The committee on Friday filed an amicus brief in the case, signaling its interest in how the lawsuit is resolved. The brief argues that the State Election Board, which passed the rules, did not have the authority to do so, and that the rules violated state election laws.
By focusing on an election lawsuit at the outset of Mr. Martin’s four-year tenure, he and the party are aiming to send a message that democracy and voting rights will remain central to the Democratic platform and will be treated as key issues heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
“To the great annoyance of MAGA Republicans in Georgia, the D.N.C. is making it clear: There are no off-days when it comes to protecting democracy,” Mr. Martin said in a statement. “Politicians don’t decide our elections — voters do. As Republican officials in Georgia have made clear, these new rules were made up by Republicans in the run-up to November’s election and don’t make our elections fairer or stronger, they are an attempt to sow distrust in our elections.”
Democrats have been wrestling with how best to respond to President Trump and his administration and position themselves for future elections. After an election in which Mr. Trump was repeatedly labeled a threat to democracy yet won every battleground state, some Democrats have pushed for a message that is more focused on the economy and kitchen-table issues. The D.N.C.’s brief is meant to show that democracy will remain a focus, too.
The case before the Georgia Supreme Court was filed by the Republican National Committee, appealing a ruling from a lower court in October knocking down multiple rules that were passed last year by the Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board. One rule stated that after election officials used machines to tabulate results, they must count the ballots by hand to ensure that the overall number of votes matched up. Another would have allowed local election officials to conduct their own “reasonable inquiry” into any anomalies they believed occurred in the election.
A judge found the actions taken by the State Election Board to be “illegal, unconstitutional and void.” Though the R.N.C. swiftly filed an appeal after the decision, the State Supreme Court declined to expedite a hearing and make a ruling before the November election.
A spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee did not respond to a request for comment.
Should Georgia’s Supreme Court side with the Republican National Committee and reinstate the rules, it would force a sharp shift of election administration in the state. Significant delays in election results would be likely as counties complied with hand-counting ballots to ensure they matched the number in the voting machines.
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