Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley has announced that poll watchers will now be permitted inside Georgia ballot-counting centers, reversing an earlier directive that had barred their access.

RNC Chair Michael Whatley delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies.

This development follows multiple legal challenges from Georgia Republicans after several counties, including Fulton County, stated they would continue accepting early ballots past the November 1 deadline.

Tensions rose after election officials in Democratic-leaning counties, including Fulton, indicated they would keep polling locations open over the weekend to accept absentee ballots.

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Georgia Republicans responded swiftly, claiming the move violated state election laws. “It has come to our attention that Fulton County election officials are planning to open four election offices this weekend ‘to accommodate voters seeking to hand-return their absentee ballots,’” read a Friday statement from the Georgia GOP. They cited Georgia Code Section 21-2-385, which mandates that “all drop boxes shall be closed when the advance voting period ends.”

The GOP’s statement called for immediate action to halt this, noting that the four locations are in areas favoring Democratic candidates. “We are calling on state officials to take immediate action to stop this and maintain confidence in Georgia’s election integrity,” it continued.

On Saturday, an email surfaced from Fulton County Registration Manager Kathryn Glenn, instructing staff not to admit poll watchers to oversee the arrival of mail-in ballots. “FYI – There are NO WATCHERS approved for ballot drop off! Do not let them in the building,” the email stated, adding that security was to enforce this directive.

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Republican leaders at both the state and national levels quickly filed formal challenges and called on Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp to intervene.

RNC Chairman Whatley criticized Democratic officials for “playing fast and loose” with election rules and confirmed the RNC would pursue legal action.

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Following these efforts, poll watchers were eventually allowed entry to the affected locations. “After refusing to admit our poll watchers, Fulton County and other counties are now allowing our poll watchers to observe the voting activity occurring today,” Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon announced on X.

McKoon added that the legality of extending early voting deadlines would continue to be challenged. “Our legal team is evaluating our next steps regarding today’s decision allowing this activity in the first place,” he stated.

Whatley also confirmed the access gained by poll workers on X, adding, “Our lawsuit over the offices remaining open is still pending, but we have eyes in the room as votes are being counted.” He reiterated the RNC’s commitment to “enforce Georgia law and protect the vote.”

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Meanwhile, Georgia State Senator Greg Dolezal was in contact with the Secretary of State’s office to secure poll watchers’ access.

Later, he confirmed that two Senate colleagues were monitoring one of the locations, with Dolezal en route to inspect another. “Fulton needs to be held accountable for once again making up rules as they go,” he posted. “The GOP is in court seeking an order to sequester these ballots until their appeal is heard.”

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Secretary of State Raffensperger welcomed the resolution but expressed concern that such a scenario arose. “The eyes of the world are on Fulton County,” Raffensperger stated, emphasizing the need for transparent and lawful election procedures, especially given the county’s history of election controversy.

As a key swing state, Georgia remains crucial for both parties, with the Trump-Vance campaign heavily invested in winning back the state.

Joe Biden’s narrow 2020 victory in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes, primarily due to high mail-in ballot turnout in Democratic strongholds, has added to the intense scrutiny of election protocols in the state.