Democrats fail to seat two Republicans on Fulton County election board, apparently defying court

The Board of Commissioners for Georgia's Fulton County on Wednesday failed to seat two Republicans on the county's election board, defying a court order. 

Earlier this month, a judge ruled the county had to appoint the nominees to the county's Board of Registration and Elections. 

On Wednesday, the seven-person Board of Commissioners voted 2-2 on seating the nominees, according to the Associated Press.

Commissioner Bridget Thorne and Bob Ellis, Republicans, voted in favor of seating them, while Democrats Mo Ivory and Dana Barrett, Democrats, voted nay. 

Commission Chairman Robb Pitts and Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, Democrats, appeared to leave the meeting before the vote, and Marvin S. Arrington Jr., also a Democrat, was not present.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger calls the matter "reckless" and says the county commission's actions "undermine trust in government."

The Fulton Republican Party successfully sued to force the commissioners' board to appoint the party's nominees – Julie Adams and Jason Frazier, arguing the commissioners were required to do so by law. 

Raffensperger also says the commission had sought a stay of that ruling but was denied by the Georgia Court of Appeals.