[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6597946,"mediaKeyId","3220615-72da497d6cc4d75b8399b8e9856c0aa2","parentId",3220615,"title","DeKalb board approves polling-place changes, PR contract and poll managers; director reports 89,000-piece return-mail backlog","audioSeconds",2194,"startMs",2020000,"endMs",4214000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220615-72da497d6cc4d75b8399b8e9856c0aa2&start=2020&end=4214","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220615-72da497d6cc4d75b8399b8e9856c0aa2/thumbnail_2020000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6597946/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-board-approves-polling-place-changes-PR-contract-and-poll-managers-director-reports-89000-piece-return-mail-backlog","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6597946-b887ab64ed76fb6dad72b5b3c67a2fd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450809&Signature=JhnhlApautv8mg~deNcLnlY6K5hQNXGVvjo5FHdxTCKieKMrg2tUVn6U2j0cmCCj6nNquEqexDkxWWIseN4ObIcdGU4j63hVX0uYH~wIV5ogEyrB5FZB7p533fKZLa67t0ZZfB2S-vP~cxV27mi2LtGSuiEq2WkSAEZjNiCIrf10B47OWc6VcGNz0NpS~HshaNWUvDNP3fjLHOkb-JaXxexjsaIIGJMPa6Muaqyd5OD1tQizzUebwV7oKMfg1j3lJBdxj-ml9UgUDzPp6bgvD0mwdXWky1l7bKubTcUpXEf5Rsz52XxOdfts74uU8RPtwLBTb23TnBQ8it-JbqI~7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeKalb County","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections voted unanimously to approve a set of polling-place changes proposed by staff, approved a contract with Profile PR for communications work and approved the list of early-voting and election-day poll managers for the upcoming June special election.

Polling-place changes approved by the board include temporary relocations of Shamrock and Valley Brook precincts from River Church at Valley Brook to Laurel Ridge Elementary for the June election only, and a set of approximately 10 permanent relocations prompted when host facilities became unavailable. Staff said the permanent changes reflected site availability, accessibility and utilization assessments. The board approved the notice to publish these changes in the county legal organ on April 17.

Some specific moves drew questions from board members. For example, the Hugh Howell precinct was moved from Smoke Rise Baptist Church to Smoke Rise Elementary School; one board member noted the move was nearly 2.8 miles by a simple distance check and asked whether closer options had been considered. Elections supervisor Jay Catherwood told the board the elementary school is inside the precinct boundary and staff had evaluated alternatives, some of which were unavailable.

The board unanimously approved entering into an agreement with Profile PR to provide communications services; the contract had a short, minor revision reviewed by the board and was characterized by one member as “pulling us out of the fire several years ago” for prior work on outreach and messaging.

Director Carly Smith gave a detailed administrative and operations update. She reported the county’s total number of registered voters as 600,358 (an update from 600,231 when the packet was posted), with 513,878 active and roughly 86,400 inactive voters as of 9 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Smith told the board there are over 80,000 pieces of return mail (precinct cards, confirmations, letters) to be processed and later in the meeting the number was clarified to about 89,000 pieces. Staff have hired temporary personnel to process roughly 22,000 pieces weekly with a goal of completing the backlog before the end of the registration period for the June election.

On budgeting, Smith reported the fiscal 2025 budget for the department was $14,603,522. Requisitions and outstanding purchase orders totaled about $956,936.69, expenditures between January and March 31 totaled $1,383,724.73, leaving about $11,882,000.79 available in the system as reported in the packet.

Smith also reported preparations for the June Public Service Commission special election (two districts), the first day to mail absentee ballots is May 26, and the office had received 26 absentee ballot applications at the time of the report. Staffing updates included recruitment for six funded positions and the announcement that Tonza Clark, deputy for communications and public affairs, is leaving the department at month’s end; Charlotte Salsby (formerly director in Athens-Clarke County) joins as registration and elections manager.

The board approved the updated list of early-voting and election-day poll managers for June and any subsequent runoff. The board also moved forward with the legal notice and mapping process to notify impacted voters about precinct changes.

Ending: Staff will post the legal notice, continue outreach to impacted voters, and proceed with the backlog processing and early-voting preparations; the department will provide maps and additional explanatory materials to the board when feasible for future polling-change items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeKalb County - Board of Registration and Elections Meeting - Apr 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections unanimously approved polling-place relocations for the June special election, authorized a communications contract with Profile PR and approved the roster of poll managers as director Carly Smith reported roughly 600,358 registered voters and an about 89,000-piece return-mail backlog.","taxTitle","DeKalb County, Georgia","taxId",3571,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6597950,"DeKalb board hears citizen challenge to registrations using PO/UPS addresses; dismisses six withdrawn challenges but takes no final action on bulk list",639,5352000,5991000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220615-72da497d6cc4d75b8399b8e9856c0aa2&start=5352&end=5991","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220615-72da497d6cc4d75b8399b8e9856c0aa2/thumbnail_5352000.jpg","/articles/6597950/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-board-hears-citizen-challenge-to-registrations-using-POUPS-addresses-dismisses-six-withdrawn-challenges-but-takes-no-final-action-on-bulk-list","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6597950-77a0cf62927f082f9edfc283821cf996/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450809&Signature=TMGrS1GXtz1dqdXmUwIjUgV4F-bsyLG7xg8MlrusJl44B8qJaTkXSju10zR-QKC00uiR-Tx3FCmU6JJwNQ-ZdyxCQQpH6tiAMUAYuzLDGZE4jSoJWgNVzi3s63WvQSIQeyOyEpz3DByfemOpYZ6bz~ICJhAkzS31zSMdbSChe24rR8VgJaxAxhx5zbLunHJKSq37QzL4Fg9PBLas5LqDfwj7rLIai2FzJ~DaVEySUUQ5RmsatVTXy8VL0ty-Viv5DNiR-onb9J~NwkpXcaBVsjjSUWiEcvmi3RhjzULg3dV9-gz1jooR~QUcdPjU9YngRj~eDuq5WTOMlrUZRsqsPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections on Thursday heard testimony about a citizen's challenge to scores of voter registrations that a challenger says list U.S. Postal Service boxes, UPS stores or other commercial mail centers as residential addresses. The board voted to dismiss six elector challenges that the challenger had formally withdrawn, but took no final action on the remaining group of challenged registrations after the hearing ended without a majority decision.

The challenge was filed by Bill Henderson, who told the board he had identified 128 registrations (after earlier withdrawals) that he said used post office or commercial mail addresses as the registrants' listed residences. “These all have residential addresses that are addresses of either US post offices, UPS stores, or other mail center businesses and strip malls,” Henderson said in his testimony (transcript excerpt). He urged the board to approve challenges in bulk so the elections office could give electors the opportunity to correct registrations.

The board dismissed six challenges that had been formally withdrawn by Henderson: Tess Duncan, Brian Pritchett, Edwin Randall, Terrell Williams, Omega Burnett and Devonna Shepherd. Later the director reported three more electors had updated their registrations that same day: Cherilyn Wheeler, Cameron Maddox and Gloria Penn. The board’s action on the remaining challenges was inconclusive: motions to defer the item and to sustain the broader set of challenges did not obtain the votes needed to conclude the matter during the meeting.

Why it matters: Board action on these challenges would remove names from the county’s voter rolls unless those electors cure their registrations or appeal to superior court. Public commenters and some board members stressed the risks of removing potentially eligible voters without clear, verifiable proof that they are ineligible.

Public commenters urged caution. Marla Tepper, introduced as a Decatur resident and poll worker, told the board: “Those challenges should be dismissed and the board should issue stern warning about issuing challenges that are not supported by the evidence that is required by law.” Cheryl Dudley of unincorporated Stone Mountain said reducing polling options or improperly removing voters “erodes public trust.” Chris Rogers, a college professor, asked the board to “give these people some grace” and consider outreach and assistance to correct mistakes rather than ending registrations.

Director Carly Smith summarized the department’s outreach after challenges were filed. Staff mailed letters to challenged electors on March 14, using certified and regular mail. As of the meeting, Smith said three electors had updated registrations, eight letters were returned undeliverable by regular mail, 11 certified-mail letters were returned, three certified confirmation cards were returned unsigned, and eight confirmation cards were returned with a signature. Smith said the office had received no response from 91 of the challenged electors as of the report.

Henderson told the board he relied on publicly accessible sources (including online maps) to identify commercial mail centers and post offices and asked the county to verify using its own governmental data. He also asked that any board votes denying challenges be accompanied by a written explanation. Legal counsel and board members discussed statutory procedures for 21-2-229 voter challenges and notice requirements; the hearing record includes references to OCGA provisions and the federal NVRA (section cited by speakers during the meeting).

Board members expressed differing views on timing and next steps. Nancy Jester and others pressed for additional time to allow more electors to respond; a motion to delay the decision until the next meeting failed. Anthony Lewis suggested the board consider operational realities and the risk of removing valid electors, while one board member warned the same pattern of challenges has been brought repeatedly in prior meetings.

The board directed staff to continue follow-up communications with challenged electors. The hearing ended without a formal ruling on the bulk of the challenges; the transcript shows the board did not reach the majority necessary to sustain or reject the remaining items during that session.

Ending: The department’s written report, certified mailing logs and any subsequent updates to the voter roll will be part of the public record and necessary for any follow-up board action or judicial appeals by affected electors.","The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections dismissed six previously withdrawn challenges but did not reach a majority decision on a larger challenge to 128 registrations that a citizen said list post office and commercial mail-center addresses as residences. Public commenters urged care to avoid disenfranchising eligible voters.","actionData","errors"]

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DeKalb board approves polling-place changes, PR contract and poll managers; director reports 89,000-piece return-mail backlog

DeKalb board hears citizen challenge to registrations using PO/UPS addresses; dismisses six withdrawn challenges but takes no final action on bulk list