Georgia Sen. Greg Dolezal sues to allow bipartisan observers into election operations center

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, who is running in the Georgia lieutenant governor primary on Tuesday, filed a lawsuit that seeks a court order to allow bipartisan observers into the election-night operations center. 

"Transparency should not be controversial," Dolezal said in a statement posted on X. 

Dolezal claims that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told the state election board through its chair that observers wouldn't be allowed in the central location — known as "the bunker" — where the state receives, verifies and reports vote totals, Fox5 Atlanta reported.

There is a Democrat and a Republican who want access to the room to observe the process, Dolezal told FOX5. 

In a statement, Raffensperger said that, contrary to Dolezal's statements, votes are actually counted inside county election offices and tabulation centers across Georgia. 

"For a guy who constantly lectures everyone about election integrity, you’d think Senator Dolezal would know that votes are not counted in the Secretary of State’s Emergency Operations Center," Raffensperger said. 

Dolezal confirmed Raffensperger's statement on where votes are counted, but he said it's important in the interest of transparency to allow bipartisan poll watchers into "the bunker" to observe.