The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted unanimously to accept a revised canvassing and pre-certification policy and to add two items to the packet of documents provided for pre-certification review: scanner tapes and the Election Day "e-post" reconciliation report. The board also directed staff to request permission from the Georgia Secretary of State to post a ballot canvass summary on the county website and to provide the full, sortable voter lists and related documents to board members for Friday's pre-certification review.

The changes were presented as a bipartisan effort led by Michael Heekin, a board member who helped draft the policy, and were argued for at the meeting by board members who said the streamlined form would make pre-certification more efficient. "So all of the items that is recommended by the commission, we actually do all those things," Director Williams said, describing the department's compliance with the Election Assistance Commission checklist.

Why it matters: the canvassing policy sets the documents and procedures the board will use during the Friday pre-certification review and ahead of the board's formal certification. The additions — scanner tapes and the e-post report — are intended to give board members a machine-readable record of vote counts and a reconciled summary of voters who checked in at each precinct and by each voting method. Board members said easier access to sortable electronic lists will speed comparisons during pre-certification.

Key provisions and discussion

Board members debated whether the county should follow the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recap format for posting results online. Linda Adams argued for adopting the EAC format, saying she had not seen a county post results in that exact format and that it would be helpful if Fulton County did so. Director Williams responded that the county already completes the items the EAC recommends and that the department posts what the Georgia Secretary of State requires. "So again, anything that we post on our website is what is mainly filed by the Secretary of State," Williams said.

Several board members sought additional documents and clarity about timing. Members asked that the packet provided to the board on Friday include:
- The statement of votes cast by precinct and by vote method (the statement that breaks down votes per candidate and, separately, the counts by method).
- A sortable number list of voters (an Excel-format list of voter names and their voting method, sortable by registration number and precinct).
- Scanner tapes from voting machines (added as "number 4" in the pre-certification packet).
- The e-post reconciliation report (added as "number 5"); staff said they will provide the e-post report to the board and seek Secretary of State approval before posting it publicly.

Board member Terry Crawford pressed for the Excel-format, sortable lists, saying the laptop view used in prior pre-certification reviews was difficult to transcribe by hand and that having the files in spreadsheet form would make it easier to verify totals. Chief Glenn, who oversees voter registration processing, said the department will provide a combined spreadsheet with separate tabs (for absentee by mail, advance in-person and election-day) and will remove blank lines so it sorts cleanly.

Statutory and procedural references

Members referenced state statutes and regulations during the discussion. Member Selby cited a provision he read in "21-2-493(f)" that appears to relate to reading voting machine returns and protective counters; staff said the scanner tapes would address that statutory need. Director Williams and other staff repeatedly noted that the canvassing and certification process is governed by the Georgia election code and that certain items posted online are limited by Secretary of State guidance.

Public comment and outreach

A public commenter, Ralph O'Connor, urged hand counts at polling places during public comment, saying, "If all counties follow this procedure, there's no need to hand count ballots." The board did not change its policy on hand counts; the canvassing discussion focused on documentation and transparency during the pre-certification process.

Additional operational details and next steps

Staff confirmed the department will supply board members with electronic, sortable files for Friday's pre-certification review, that multiple laptops will be available so members can work simultaneously, and that staff will be present to assist. Director Williams said the department can provide scanner tapes and e-post reports at the start of the pre-certification review and will ask the Secretary of State whether the ballot canvass summary may be posted publicly; if the Secretary of State permits posting, the county will place the summary online.

The board moved to accept the pre-certification packet with the agreed amendments and approved the motion by voice vote. The board then proceeded to continue pre-certification work and scheduled certification for the following Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Ending

Board members praised the bipartisan effort to finalize the canvassing policy and thanked staff for the work. Director Williams and staff will distribute the amended policy and the pre-certification documents to the board in advance of the Friday review and will follow up with the Secretary of State's office about posting permissions.