Georgia judge strikes down 7 new elections rules

• Polls have consistently shown former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are tied in a virtual dead heat in the state that President Biden won by a narrow margin in 2020.

Driving the news: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox said in his ruling that the election board's authority "can only extend to adopt rules and regulations to carry into effect a law already passed or otherwise administer and effectuate an existing enactment of the General Assembly."

• The rules implemented "exceed or are in conflict with specific provisions of the Election Code," Cox wrote.
• "Thus, the challenged rules are unlawful and void."

Context: The Trump-backed election board implemented the changes following calls from some conservatives to make voting more secure, but Democrats and some election officials said it would create a framework that election deniers could use to delay the certification of November's presidential election results.

Flashback: Trump publicly praised the board's majority decision on hand-counting votes, while Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said the "11th hour" rule changes would "undermine voter confidence."

What we're watching: The board could appeal the case.

Go deeper... In photos: Georgia reports record early voting turnout in key swing state