[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6269169,"mediaKeyId","3045128-5d56f24ebbf07698762ea44349ff49da","parentId",3045128,"title","Camden County hearing resolves multiple elector challenges; board approves many removals, tables several for more information","audioSeconds",2423,"startMs",1171000,"endMs",3594000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3045128-5d56f24ebbf07698762ea44349ff49da&start=1171&end=3594","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3045128-5d56f24ebbf07698762ea44349ff49da/thumbnail_1171000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6269169/Camden-County/Georgia/Camden-County-hearing-resolves-multiple-elector-challenges-board-approves-many-removals-tables-several-for-more-information","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269169-35f3e0497ed22cd43817b77fb12297ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500728&Signature=X4T3fx262HdTukMW4t4SwmthiZESqxqvjFTsxO-iZw8ok94bBbcAo9pPF0xReRJ2aLopXPZuVRwq4byxt0lV~g~7UOiWSplbR-P8PNdIj~CYmZPNH45LBy0YLpnTFtgffTbXrDzH~b0z25W3-jiGBoLSjvXT3BYQCH1bD6HdprOLjBEVtUVWFyR4WNM-IsPoOD3Fv7PWo6lK9CjwUZve06ZR8I~kXXx7-~P9oFttFxvH18c2JdA6Kn4zAJv27bNRmZ02YpXYlsCHVMBfPyu6RPpb~DZDEDW1CZFN3JtGYvmmBNcoF7kuTXmG-nYFcAaYxEcMbhEePJorYWr~szfr4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-18T04:42:03.147Z","article","The Camden County Board of Elections and Registration convened a public hearing on April 17 to adjudicate elector challenges filed by challenger Kyle Rapp. The hearing covered more than two dozen challenged registrations alleging out-of-jurisdiction homestead exemptions, commercial addresses, post-office-box mailing addresses, vacant-lot registrations and other irregularities.

Vice Chair Julia McCullough presided over the hearing and read the statutory standard for challenges, noting the board would follow Georgia Code provisions and administrative-evidence rules. Challenger Kyle Rapp presented batches of evidence drawn from public absentee-files, county records and third-party searches to support multiple challenge categories: homestead exemptions in other states, registrations listing hotels/motels or commercial addresses, registrations using P.O. boxes in St. Marys, and registrations tied to vacant lots or non-existent addresses.

The board grouped similar cases for decision-making. It approved challenges for a set of registrants whose records show homestead exemptions in other states or evidence of registration in other jurisdictions, and the board approved removals for multiple registrations at commercial addresses and P.O. boxes after staff-confirmed contacts and certified-mail attempts. The board also approved removal for a group of registrations that used addresses later shown to be commercial or invalid, while withdrawing two challenges after the registrants corrected their registration address to the county’s preferred physical address.

Where evidence was incomplete or further confirmation was warranted, the board tabled specific cases for additional investigation. The board tabled two registrants who reported a homestead exemption in another state (Alexander and Shelby Law) to allow those registrants time to provide additional documentation at the board’s May meeting. The board also tabled the challenge to a registrant identified as Zoltan Mester pending verification of whether he is a permanent U.S. citizen overseas (which would restrict his ballot to federal offices) or a domestic registrant eligible for state and local ballots. The board likewise tabled challenges to two elderly registrants who use a St. Marys P.O. box (Carol Elliott Collins and Elwin Ford Collins Sr.) so staff could pursue additional outreach before a removal decision.

County staff and the challenger regularly reported attempts to contact registrants by certified mail, phone and email; staff noted several certified-mail packets were returned as undeliverable and several others were signed for. Where staff confirmed a registrant had changed an address during the hearing (for example the owner or occupant of a Downtown St. Marys lot who changed a previously incorrect street number to 101 Dilworth Street), Rapp withdrew the formal challenge for those individuals because the corrected registration addressed the board’s concern.

County attorney Jackie Fortier and staff answered board questions about the legal tests for residency and domicile, explaining that affirmative steps such as claiming a homestead exemption in another state are strong evidence of a change of domicile under Georgia law. The attorney reminded the board that parties have an administrative right to an appeal to superior court within 10 days of a registrar decision.

The board took a series of grouped motions, approving many challenges and removals as a group and voting to table the handful of cases that required more documentation. Board members emphasized there was no indication of fraudulent intent in several military-household and first-time-homebuyer cases; several members urged staff to provide clear notice and a path to re-register for any voter removed who later re-establishes Georgia residency.

The hearing record shows multiple procedural outcomes: approvals to remove registrants from the Camden rolls for lack of qualifying residency, tableing of select cases for follow-up at the May meeting, and withdrawal of a small number of challenges after registrants proactively corrected their registration address.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Elections and Registrars 4 PM Meeting - April 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Camden County Board of Elections and Registration on April 17 held a public hearing to consider elector challenges filed by Kyle Rapp and approved multiple removals from the county voter rolls while tabling others for further investigation.","taxTitle","Camden County, Georgia","taxId",28223,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6269174,"Camden County election office outlines schedule and voter instructions for June 17 Public Service Commission special primary",331,576000,907000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3045128-5d56f24ebbf07698762ea44349ff49da&start=576&end=907","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3045128-5d56f24ebbf07698762ea44349ff49da/thumbnail_576000.jpg","/articles/6269174/Camden-County/Georgia/Camden-County-election-office-outlines-schedule-and-voter-instructions-for-June-17-Public-Service-Commission-special-primary","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269174-ec78b0a32b4a40b2e48913794e830277/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500728&Signature=jP4JJnoN-y6UHZMM-6ASkOZVIkFLtcJm-SgH5bE0FX0lhwS-6xhHUIM-QFcgsmz4uMzR98tn4bk0Ltm7XWB5DQxj4GXPHS7yJmiRa1FDlwDIStcbV8dbTvRIt6voXSdZg3ltu3yk~rhdzfRuXmvGHk5DC5d7ilBfTeYbScmTj7JO9leLmC3Wba9NJn11DdSIgCTvivllm7mmzoiBtyojQPOcI5Zx4ZivRK7iCCyTq8cD1Xo0IMF5zyv0EQh5ZXUMnuJXgskPWKZKx2k-zR61rrJKQ2pBFwpsaEdMPfprFB5UCqaITEcwojRMhZEQCx8UYlu9IGX2Xh39EsRsgwe2iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Camden County election officials on April 17 briefed the Board of Elections and Registration on administration plans for the June 17, 2025 special primary for two Georgia Public Service Commission seats and outlined voter-facing steps including ballot proofs, logic-and-accuracy testing and advance voting dates.

Election Supervisor Shannon Nettles told the board the county has proofed and returned the special-primary ballot, which contains only the Public Service Commission races. She said logic-and-accuracy testing is scheduled for May 6 at 9 a.m. and that advance in-person voting will run as permitted by state law beginning Tuesday, May 27 and continuing through Friday, June 13, with weekend early-voting times to be set for the required Saturdays. Nettles also said the county added two early-voting days in Woodbine to improve local access.

The presentation included background on the commission and the contest on Camden County ballots. Election staff explained that the special primary covers Districts 2 and 3. Candidate line-ups noted in the briefing: District 2 — incumbent Republican Tim Echols and challenger Lee Muns; a Democratic candidate listed as Alicia Johnson running unopposed in that party. District 3 — incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson and a four-person Democratic primary between Daniel Blackman, Keisha Sean Waits, Peter Hubbard and Robert Jones.

Staff described the statewide structure of Public Service Commission elections and why Camden County voters will receive ballots for districts that are not their assigned district: PSC seats are elected at-large across the state. Staff also summarized litigation-related scheduling: the special election was postponed from 2024 after a lawsuit was dismissed too late in the year to keep the race on the 2024 schedule.

Nettles warned voters about absentee-ballot “rollover” for special elections. She said guidance from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office indicated absentee ballots issued for a special election are not automatically valid for other elections or runoff contests; an absentee applicant for a special primary would need to submit a separate application for a subsequent runoff or for a different special election. Nettles said the office has contacted previous absentee applicants from the last SPLOST election and assisted those who requested a new application.

Officials told the board the likely need for a runoff in the District 3 Democratic primary because four candidates are contesting the nomination and no candidate appears to have an obvious majority lead. If required, the office identified Tuesday, July 15, 2025 as the runoff date staff would support.

The presentation closed with reminders of voter-registration and absentee-application deadlines the county published: the voter registration change deadline for the special primary is May 19; the deadline to accept absentee applications is June 6. Nettles said county materials, including a fact sheet and the PowerPoint, would be posted online.

Camden County staff fielded questions from board members about the short public awareness of the PSC, the scheduling of advance voting, and contact outreach to absentee applicants.","Camden County elections staff reviewed the June 17 special primary for two Georgia Public Service Commission districts, disclosed the advance voting schedule and logic-and-accuracy testing date, and warned voters that absentee ballots for special elections will not roll over to future special elections.","actionData","errors"]

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Camden County hearing resolves multiple elector challenges; board approves many removals, tables several for more information

Camden County election office outlines schedule and voter instructions for June 17 Public Service Commission special primary