Judge blocks hand-counting

A judge in the closely watched US swing state of Georgia blocked a new rule on Tuesday that would have required election workers to hand-count ballots, as the state posted a record turnout on the first day of early voting.

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In his ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said the new rule would upend the electoral process just weeks before the 5 November presidential vote and thus was "too much, too late".