A judge in Georgia upset Republicans last week by ruling that new election integrity rules cannot go into effect before election day.

That anger is likely to continue after Fox News reported on Tuesday that Georgia Supreme Court justices announced they wouldn't immediately block his bombshell decision. 

New rules would have affected county election officials

According to the Associated Press, the Georgia State Election Board voted to adopt new rules governing the certification of votes.

The rules required county election officials to create a list of individuals of voters who cast a ballot along with the voting methods they use. That list would subsequently be used to guide a hand recount of ballots.

What's more, the rules also compelled officials to meet by 3 p.m. on the Friday after any election for the purpose of reviewing precinct returns.

They further stipulated that county officials "shall be permitted to examine all election-related documentation created during the conduct of elections" before any outcome is certified.

Judge strikes down new rules along with heightened voter ID standards

Those rules faced a legal challenge from groups such as the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, Eternal Vigilance, which were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Fox News noted that the ACLU claimed that the rules were "injecting chaos into the democratic system in the immediate run-up to the November election."

BREAKING: Georgia Supreme Court denies emergency appeal for GOP-backed ballot rules struck down by judge https://t.co/p5rNqg4WEk

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 22, 2024

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr. agreed with their assessment, concluding that the Georgia State Elections Board move was "illegal, unconstitutional, and void."

What's more, Cox also struck down an ID requirement as well as requirements for video surveillance of drop boxes and heightened documentation standards for those dropping off absentee ballots.

Cox's ruling will remain in effect until after Election Day

That led the Republican National Committee (RNC) to seek redress from Georgia's highest judicial body, something the ACLU opposed.

"Early voting has begun and over 1 million Georgians have already cast their ballots. Judge Cox's ruling prevented a rule change in the middle of the game," Fox News quoted the ACLU as saying in its response.

For their part, state Supreme Court justices unanimously said that they lack "jurisdiction over this motion" when denying the RNC's request for emergency review.

Nevertheless, they signaled that they would take the case after Election Day due to the "issues of gravity and public importance" which it presents.