Georgia Republican official joins State Election Board

David Wickert, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 22, 2025

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ATLANTA — A top Georgia Republican Party official will join a State Election Board that has revived efforts to find fraud in the 2020 election.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has appointed Salleigh Grubbs, first vice chair of the Georgia Republican Party, to the board that writes rules on election practices and investigates allegations of fraud. She replaces former state Sen. Rick Jeffares, who resigned after nearly two years on the board.

Grubbs is no stranger to the election board. She has come before the board to ask them to increase election certification requirements and to clarify when counties must use paper ballots instead of touchscreen voting machines.

Grubbs’ appointment is not likely to alter the balance of power on the election board, where a right-wing majority has adopted an aggressive approach to rulemaking and investigations.

“I have no doubt she will bring significant passion and expertise to overseeing Georgia’s elections,” Jones said in a statement about her appointment.

Last year the board sought to impose new certification requirements ahead of the 2024 presidential election. This year it considered swapping Georgia’s touchscreen voting system for hand-marked paper ballots under some circumstances.

Courts later invalidated the certification requirements, saying the board had exceeded its authority. And last month the board rejected the proposed paper ballots rule on a 2-2 vote. Grubbs was an advocate of both proposals.

When a lawsuit accused the State Election Board of violating the Georgia Open Records Act, Grubbs created an online campaign to raise money to help pay for board member Janice Johnston’s legal defense.

Critics said the campaign created potential conflicts of interest for Johnston because some contributors had business before the board. The board settled the lawsuit last month.

Grubbs has been aligned with the Trump wing of the Republican Party, sometimes taking on Georgia officials in her own party.

In 2021, she was head of the Cobb County Republican Party when it censured Gob. Gov. Brian Kemp for failing to do enough to address illegal immigration. She also pushed a “Cobb First” platform modeled after President Donald Trump’s “America First” mantra.

“Salleigh Grubbs brings a strong record of leadership and a deep commitment to election integrity,” Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon said in announcing her appointment. “Her experience and dedication to fair, transparent elections will serve Georgians well, and I know our entire party joins me in congratulating her on this new role.”

Jeffares could not immediately be reached for comment.

He was part of a majority that revived an investigation of Fulton County’s conduct of the 2020 election. The board subpoenaed the county’s ballots and reams of other material. Though the county challenged the subpoenas in court, a judge last week ruled the election board has the authority to seek the documents.

The board also sought the U.S. Justice Department’s help in its investigation of Fulton County. Earlier this month, the department filed a lawsuit seeking to obtain the ballots and other material sought by the State Election Board.

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