MAGA Outraged As Notorious Red State Official Goes Rogue, Blocks Poll Watchers From Election Night ‘Bunker’

Georgia Republicans are turning up the heat on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger just one day before primary voters head to the polls, accusing him of shutting election observers out of a key room where statewide vote totals are reported on election night.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming, announced Monday that he and two other GOP candidates filed an emergency lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court seeking immediate access for poll watchers and State Election Board observers inside Georgia’s Election Night Reporting Room, a secure area Dolezal referred to as “the bunker.”

“Transparency should not be controversial,” Dolezal said.

The lawsuit was filed by Dolezal, U.S. House candidate Christopher Mora, and Cobb County Commissioner Keli Gambrill. The trio is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order blocking Raffensperger from excluding officially designated observers from the tabulation, verification, and reporting process during Tuesday’s election.

According to the filing, Georgia law requires transparency throughout every stage of the election process, including vote counting and reporting. The plaintiffs argue Raffensperger’s refusal to allow observers into the reporting room violates those requirements.

The lawsuit also points out that Raffensperger himself is on the ballot in the May 19 Republican primary, arguing that this creates an obvious conflict of interest and underscores the need for independent oversight.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones jumped into the dispute Monday as well, blasting the decision to block State Election Board members from monitoring the process and urging the Department of Justice to intervene.

“Georgians demand transparency and integrity in our elections,” Jones said. “I’m calling on DOJ to weigh in immediately.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller also moved to escalate the matter, sending a letter to House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil requesting that congressional observers be assigned to Georgia’s election reporting operation.

Fuller asked that observers be granted access to every stage of the reporting process, including the Election Night Reporting Room itself.

In the letter, Fuller cited Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution, which gives Congress authority to judge the elections of its own members. He also referenced the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act, arguing that federal law requires states to permit congressional observers into locations where election results are processed, tabulated, or certified.

“Having transparency in our elections is critical and no one should be afraid of oversight,” Fuller wrote.

He added that his office was prepared to provide staff members to assist as observers if necessary.

Raffensperger fired back hard in a statement responding to the lawsuit, rejecting claims that votes are actually counted inside the state’s Election Night Reporting Room.

“For a guy who constantly lectures everyone about election integrity, you’d think Senator Dolezal would know that votes are not counted in the Secretary of State’s Emergency Operations Center,” Raffensperger said. “The real fight to safeguard the ballot box happens at the local level — inside county election offices and tabulation centers across Georgia.”

Raffensperger then accused Dolezal of using the controversy for political attention ahead of the primary.

“But facts clearly aren’t getting in the way of Dolezal’s desperate search for press attention and votes. So buckle up, Greg. This isn’t my first rodeo,” Raffensperger added.

“You are about to join Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden, and the New Georgia Project on the long list of people who sued me and lost.”