At the same meeting, DeKalb County voter Kate Denny scolded the board for approving a series of rules she said would undermine confidence in the upcoming election. She accused the board of allowing 2020 election deniers to “hijack a system that works.”

“I am sick that I had to take time out of my day and babysit you!” Dempsey told the board. “You’re supposed to work for us, not for Donald Trump!”

From Blue Ridge to Valdosta, many Georgians are seething with distrust over the upcoming election.

The latest evidence comes from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey that found nearly 3 out of 10 likely voters are not confident the election will be conducted fairly.

Republicans are the most suspicious — about 39% responded they are not so confident or not at all confident the election will be conducted fairly. But some 16% of Democrats and 18% of independents also doubt the election will be fair.

What’s more, some 13% of likely voters — including 1 in 5 Republicans — say they’re not prepared to accept the outcome as legitimate.

The results echo years of surveys in Georgia and across the nation that show voter confidence has suffered since Trump made false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election. That distrust continues to fester despite years of new laws and rules passed in the name of election integrity.

Many Republicans don’t trust Georgia’s Dominion Voting Systems machines. Many Democrats don’t trust the Republican-controlled State Election Board. The board doesn’t trust Democratic Fulton County election officials. And many voters don’t trust the election workers who will tally the votes.

In short, many Georgians don’t trust each other as the state prepares to play a crucial role in selecting the next president. And it seems likely a significant number of voters will not accept the results.

Suspicions of fraud

More than 100 people gathered Saturday at a Rome conference center for a Republican “protect the vote” rally and poll watcher training. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene drew a round of applause when she proclaimed “election integrity matters.”

“I have stood with you all on protecting our elections, and I am so proud to tell you again that I objected to Joe Biden’s Electoral College votes in 2020,” she told the crowd. “I would do it again if I had the opportunity.”

At a news conference following the event, Greene said election integrity remains a top issue in her northwest Georgia district. What she didn’t say is that Trump has done more than anyone to fuel that concern.

Credit: Ben Hendren

Credit: Ben Hendren

Four years ago, Biden defeated Trump in Georgia by a narrow margin. His victory was confirmed by two recounts — including a hand count of every ballot. But Trump claimed the election was rigged.

None of his accusations held up under scrutiny.

Election experts dismissed his evidence as “highly inaccurate,” “wildly unreliable” and “worthless.” Judges rejected his claims. State and federal investigators found some fraud and misconduct, but not nearly enough to affect the outcome of the election.

Trump didn’t overturn Biden’s victory, but he convinced many of his supporters the election was illegitimate.

In September 2020, an AJC survey found about two-thirds of Georgia Democrats and independents were confident that year’s general election would be conducted fairly and accurately. Republican confidence was a little lower, but not much.

By the following January — after months of Trump’s false claims — three-quarters of Republicans said they believed there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Trump continues to claim the election was stolen, and polls show Republicans believe him. Those concerns now color people’s beliefs about the upcoming election.

According to the latest AJC survey, about 8 in 10 Democrats and independents are confident the November election will be fair and accurate. Just 57% of Republicans are confident.

David Becker is executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, which works to improve confidence in elections. He said mistrust in elections isn’t fueled by policies and processes, which are similar in states Trump won and lost in 2020. In fact, he said Georgia has some of the best election practices in the country.

“And yet, we will still hear people claiming there was widespread fraud for one reason and one reason only,” Becker said. “They didn’t like the outcome.”

‘Good vs. evil’

At Saturday’s Republican rally, speaker after speaker underscored the importance of election integrity — as well as the outcome of the presidential race.

Lara Trump, co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee and the former president’s daughter-in-law, said the election isn’t about Republicans vs. Democrats or conservatives vs. liberals.

“This is about good vs. evil, and good is going to triumph in this election, ladies and gentlemen,” Trump said.

Republicans aren’t the only ones who think the stakes are high. About a third of Democrats said preserving democracy is the issue that will have the biggest influence on their presidential vote, according to the AJC survey.

It’s by far the top issue for Democrats. By contrast, just 4% of Republicans and 15% of independents said preserving democracy is their top issue.

Many Democrats worry about the State Election Board, which is controlled by three Republicans whom Trump has praised as “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.” One board member attended a recent Trump rally, while another has expressed interest in a job in a second Trump administration.

The board has approved a series of rules that critics say could sow chaos in November and pave the way for Trump to contest a Kamala Harris victory on false pretenses.

One rule requires local election boards to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into results before certifying them. Another allows them to scrutinize troves of election materials before certification. A third requires election workers to hand count the number of ballots cast after the polls close.

Last week two judges invalidated those and other rules — at least for now. But some Georgians believe the board is in Trump’s pocket.

At its recent meeting, Betsy Shackleford told the board to “drop the pretense” that the rules are about election integrity.

“We know these rules came from Trump’s lawyers, probing for areas where elections can be thrown into chaos, to set the stage for a Trump steal,” she said.

Republicans say it’s Democrats who are undermining confidence.

“I think that Democrats are in court every day trying to undermine commonsense election integrity laws that, if they were put on the ballot today, 90% of Georgians would vote for,” Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon said after Saturday’s rally.

Less than two weeks before Election Day, the AJC survey shows Trump has a slight lead over Harris in Georgia. Polls also show a tight race in other swing states.

No matter who wins, the result will likely be disputed, dissected and disbelieved. Just ask anyone at a State Election Board meeting.

“The landscape is changing,” Lucia Frazier told the board. “We’re involved now and we’re going to stay involved, no matter what happens with this election.”