The Atlanta Journal-Constitition reports that Georgia Republicans are setting the groundwork to take over Fulton County’s board of elections. The county, which includes Atlanta, contains ten percent of the Peach State’s electorate. The purpose is to rig elections so that the Republicans don’t have a repeat of 2021 when they unexpectedly lost runoff elections for their their two seats in the U.S. Senate.

So far, the process follows the law.

As written into Senate Bill 202, the State Election Board can replace a county’s election board following a performance review/audit/investigation. Then, a temporary superintendent would enjoy full managerial authority of how the county counts votes and staffs polling places.

Step one is to initiate the review/audit/investigation. According to the statute, a review is authorized when there is a request of “at least two state representatives and two state senators from the county.” The senate part of this already done, and it looks like the GOP has two Republican state reps from Fulton County ready to join in the application.

Step two is to find something out of order that can be used to justify a State Election Board takeover. This is probably a low hurdle.

Rep. David Dreyer, an Atlanta Democrat and head of the Fulton House delegation, said elections are massive logistical undertakings.

“If I were to audit Chick-fil-A and Home Depot … I’d find things that aren’t done perfectly,” he said.

Step Three is to place a MAGA-friendly “temporary superintendent” in charge of Fulton County’s elections.

Step Four is to have that superintendent make decisions that disenfranchise large numbers of Atlanta’s citizens.

I don’t know what recourse the Democrats have under state law, and if it’s done carefully it will be hard for the federal government to intervene.

The Republicans say this is necessary to restore faith in the integrity of that state’s elections, but they’re the ones who undermined that faith with baseless allegations.

This is something to watch, because Atlanta’s voters aren’t going to just accept this. It will get ugly, as it should.