The decision leaves in place an earlier ruling from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr., who struck down the new rules last week.

The Georgia Supreme Court blocked a Republican effort Tuesday to require poll workers to hand-count the number of ballots cast,

Georgia's top court declined on Tuesday to hear an expedited appeal by Republicans of a decision blocking a new rule that would have required poll workers to hand-count ballots, a change that voting rights groups warned could have caused chaos.