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Camden County board removes challenges for two households; overseas‑status voter remains unresolved
Summary
At its May 15 meeting the board accepted the challenger’s withdrawal and removed challenges to Alexander and Shelby Law and to Elwin and Carol Collins; the board left open the case of Zoltan Mester, who is marked as an overseas voter with uncertain intent to return.
The Camden County Board of Elections and Registrars voted on May 15 to accept the withdrawal of pending voter challenges and to restore two households to active status after staff review; one challenger’s case remains unresolved pending contact.
Election Supervisor Shannon Nettles summarized staff findings for three challenged registrants. For Alexander Law and Shelby Law, Nettles read a letter from the Grady County, Oklahoma tax assessor that stated the homestead exemption at 307 Willow Creek Drive had been removed and “The exemption has been removed for 2025 forward.” She told the board the Laws are not registered to vote in Oklahoma and staff recommend returning them to active status in Camden County.
Nettles also described contacts with Elwin and Carol Collins, who maintain a P.O. box in St. Marys and who told staff by phone that they are full‑time RV travelers who “consider Camden County home” and “have every intent to be back here.” Staff recommended reinstating the Collins to the prior residential address for voting while keeping the P.O. box as the mailing address.
The third case involves Zoltan Mester. Nettles said staff located a 2024 voter‑registration/absentee form in which Mester “clearly states that he is a US citizen living outside the country, and his intent is to return is uncertain,” and that, under that designation, he would be eligible only for federal‑only ballots unless he asserts intent to return and a residential address is established. The board did not receive any response from Mester to certified mail or email.
After discussion, the challenger (Mr. Rapp) said, “I will withdraw all the challenges I have pending,” and the board moved to accept that withdrawal. The motion to accept the withdrawal was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition; the clerk recorded the removal of the challenges from the affected registrants’ records.
Board members and staff emphasized that staff had attempted multiple contacts, used certified mail, and reviewed public records (including the Grady County assessor letter) before recommending reinstatement of the two households. The board’s action at the meeting was to accept the challenger’s withdrawal and to remove the formal challenges from the county records; the Mester matter remains open pending contact or further documentation.
The board did not adopt new policy or change statutory interpretations at the meeting; actions recorded were the removal of the specific challenges and direction to staff to maintain the voter‑roll statuses consistent with the board’s vote and existing election law.
