Georgia group that pushes election misinformation gains influence with election officials

New rules in Georgia that some officials fear could inject chaos into November’s election have links to a controversial group that has gained outsized influence in the Peach State.

New rules in Georgia that some officials fear could inject chaos into November’s election have links to a controversial group that has gained outsized influence in the Peach State. VoterGA, a nonprofit led by a computer consultant-turned-activist named Garland Favorito who has a long history of promoting debunked conspiracy theories, has made inroads with some election officials in Georgia despite his penchant for pushing election misinformation. The new rules, proposed by followers of VoterGA and passed by the state’s Republican-held election board, include a requirement that counties hand-count ballots cast at polling places on Election Day. They also include a policy that gives partisan county election boards more leeway to delay certifying election results. Both those rules have been challenged in court, but with less than a month to go before the election, they’ve added potential confusion into the mechanics of how votes are counted in a key battleground state. Aside from lobbying for the passage of the rules, Favorito and his organization have relentlessly engaged in activities in recent months to try to prevent the widespread fraud they falsely believe occurred in the 2020 election. They have hosted poll-watcher trainings, messaged officials with dubious warnings about alleged election insecurities and railed against voting machines during meetings with the state board of election. The group also received a financial boost from an organization co-founded by former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. The rise of Favorito and his group illustrates the way elections conspiracy theories have moved from fringe to mainstream in Georgia over the last four years, some officials say.