He said the machines are in the control of a third party.

The judge reversed the order not long after, explaining that the defendants are not in possession of the machines.

“Plaintiffs’ request fails because the voting equipment that they seek to impound is in the possession of county election officials. Any injunction the Court issues would extend only to Defendants and those within their control, and Plaintiffs have not demonstrated that county election officials are within Defendants’ control. Defendants cannot serve as a proxy for local election officials against whom the relief should be sought,” the judge wrote.

The change of course by the judge drew a flabbergasted response from Lin Wood, an attorney associated with the Trump campaign.

“What??? Judge reversed order based on Defendants’ claim that GA Counties control voting machines,” Wood wrote on Twitter, adding that the machines are owned by the state and that the Georgia secretary of state administers elections.

“Why are GA officials determined to wipe these machines clean [by] resetting them?”