Fulton County BRE reports turnout for State Senate District 21 special, flags staffing, site and scheduling issues ahead of possible Nov. 18 special election

The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections reported turnout and operational notes Wednesday during a special called meeting on the night of the Sept. 23 special election for State Senate District 21.

"We've had a successful election day. All locations opened on time this morning," Director Williams, director of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, told the board, then provided vote counts: "For advanced voting in person, we had 6,709 voters at the 2 advanced voting location. We got approximately 60 absentee by mail. And at 06:20, the election day count was approximately 4,782. So roughly, so far, participating this election is over 11,000 voters."

The figures were presented as preliminary. Director Williams said staff expected to complete tabulation later the same evening when memory cards arrived and were processed.

The board also discussed precinct consolidations and poll-worker staffing. Director Williams said the county has closed and merged precincts over recent election cycles and now operates about 149 sites, down from roughly 250 two years ago, creating a "surplus of coworkers." She said the county will give "experienced coworkers priority" for assignments from the pool and will place displaced workers back if locations reopen, with displaced workers placed on a wait list until that occurs.

Member Adams asked whether the county would rehire people who formerly worked at closed sites before hiring new workers; Director Williams said the county would pull from its existing pool first because those workers are trained and available.

Director Williams also described a parental complaint at an elementary school in Milton about a polling place there. "Even though there was an officer present and assigned, they do not want a polling site at their school," she said. She said the county is trying to move polling sites out of elementary schools into private locations or, at minimum, to middle schools or high schools to avoid damaging gym floors from heavy equipment.

Board members pressed on outstanding mail ballots. A board member asked if 21 mail ballots remained outstanding; Director Williams corrected that number to 22 and said one outstanding ballot was known to be at a North location and simply needed to be brought in.

The board discussed upcoming schedule questions tied to another special election that Gov. Kemp set by executive order for State Senate District 35. Director Williams said Cobb County had contacted Fulton and that both counties "may be jointly asking for reconsideration," but that if the Nov. 18 date stands the department would prepare as scheduled. She gave the dates the department had tentatively set if the Nov. 18 election remains: Nov. 18, election night; Nov. 21, pre-certification; Nov. 24, special meeting and certification; and potential runoff dates of Dec. 16, Dec. 19 and Dec. 22.

Member Adams and other board members noted the overlap that would occur with the Nov. 4 general election, with advanced voting for both contests likely to overlap. "It's a big overlap," Director Williams said, adding staff would work with external affairs on signage and voter information "to not confuse voters to the best of our ability." Cobb County officials have asked that the special be merged onto the Nov. 4 ballot; Director Williams said Fulton can request but that the governor's office or the state Board of Registrars and Elections would decide.

Procedural actions during the meeting included approval of the meeting agenda by voice vote and a motion to adjourn, which the chair stated passed by voice vote.

The board noted the BRE meeting schedule may change and that any schedule updates would be posted; Director Williams said staff would provide additional scheduling details at the board's Friday meeting.

The meeting adjourned after the board voted to end the session.