Georgia court says Fulton County can reject conspiracy theorists nominated to election board 

A Georgia state appeals panel has ruled that Fulton County — the place at the center of conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election — does not have to appoint two prominent Republican election conspiracy theorists to its board of elections.

The ruling Friday, which reversed a lower court decision, marks a major win for Fulton County voters and vacates an extraordinary effort by the Fulton County Republican Party to punish county officials over the appointment battle. 

However, the case may now head to the Georgia Supreme Court, which is dominated by judges appointed by Republican governors. 

Last year, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 to reject two Republican nominees, Julie Adams and Jason Frazier, from serving on its local board of elections because of their efforts to undercut elections in both the county and state.

In 2024, during her previous stint on the Fulton Board of Registration and Elections, Adams refused to certify the county’s primary election results based on unspecified “discrepancies.” She also has strong ties to prominent anti-democratic organizations, such as the Election Integrity Network (EIN) led by prominent anti-voting activist Cleta Mitchell.

That same year, Frazier sued Fulton County, falsely alleging that it failed to properly maintain voter rolls. That suit was quickly dismissed. He has also promoted conspiracy theories in Georgia.

After the board rejected Adams and Frazier, the Fulton County Republican Party, which nominated them, sued, alleging that the Board of Commissioners violated local law. 

A lower trial court sided with the Fulton County GOP. However, the board continued to reject Adams and Frazier, which prompted Republicans to seek a $10,000-a-day fine against the board and even the imprisonment of its commissioners.

In their decision Friday, the panel of state appeals judges said the board did not err, as rejecting appointments is an inherent part of commissioners’ appointment powers under local law.

“Some of the Commissioners concluded that Frazier and Adams should not serve on the [Board of Registration and Elections]. In doing so, they were exercising their constitutional prerogative to exercise their judgment as to these appointments on behalf of the people who elected them,” the appeals judges wrote.

The appeals panel also vacated the $10,000-a-day fine and civil contempt order imposed by the lower court on the commission.

While the appeals ruling is a victory, local GOP officials said Republican-controlled counties could use the decision to block the appointment of election board members nominated by Democrats.

“I assume we’ll be appealing – trying to find out. Otherwise I guess every red county across Georgia is now equally as free to reject any Democrat we don’t like?” Mark Davis, a Georgia Republican Party official, said on social media.

However, each county has its own appointment laws, so this strategy may not be possible in other parts of the state.