Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A judge in the US state of Georgia has blocked an order for ballots in November’s presidential election to be counted by hand. Judge Robert McBurney ruled poll workers would not have received adequate training to handle millions of ballots, adding that the last-minute change would have led to ‘administrative chaos.’ The hand count mandate was passed by the pro-Trump majority on the Georgia election board last month, and Tuesday’s ruling was welcomed by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Early voting began in Georgia on Tuesday, with record numbers casting their votes in the key swing state ahead of Election Day on 5 November. More than 328,000 people voted in person or by post on the first day of voting, officials said — more than double the previous record of 136,000 in 2020. Around five million votes for president were cast in Georgia that year, with Democrat Joe Biden winning the state by just under 12,000.” (10/16/24)