In a critical decision, Georgia Judge Robert McBurney has ruled against a new mandate that would have required hand-counting ballots for the November presidential election, just as early voting kicks off in the pivotal swing state. The proposed rule, backed by a pro-Trump majority on the Georgia election board, was intended to open sealed boxes of ballots already scanned by machines, requiring three poll workers at each of the state's 6,500 precincts to verify them manually. McBurney ruled this change would cause "administrative chaos" due to inadequate training of poll workers and undermine public confidence in the election process.

The blocked mandate coincides with record turnout for early voting in Georgia, where over 328,000 people have already cast their votes—more than double the turnout on the first day of voting in 2020. The ruling has been welcomed by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, amid ongoing concerns about election integrity following former President Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 result. Trump's unfounded claims of a stolen election continue to resonate, as he rallies supporters to secure a victory “too big to rig.”

Georgia is a critical state in the upcoming election and Judge McBurney's ruling also asserts the necessity of vote certification by election board members. This decision arrives amidst a backdrop of election-related legal challenges in Georgia, further highlighting the state’s significance in deciding the race between Harris and Trump.