Cherokee County elections board rejects pre-certification hand count, approves runoff schedule and staffing plans

The Cherokee County Board of Elections on Monday voted down a motion for a pre-certification hand count of ballots, 4-1, and moved forward with a schedule of logistics and outreach for an upcoming Sept. 23 runoff election.

The motion for a pre-certification hand count was introduced during new business and defeated after discussion about staff workload, recent audits and timing with other elections. “It would just be a good time to confirm with Democratic voters that we care about their election,” said John, a board member who made the motion. Julie, another board member, said the board had already conducted recent post-certification audits with no discrepancies and raised concerns about staff capacity while the office prepares for multiple simultaneous elections.

The board’s decision came amid a longer Director’s Report outlining election preparations. The elections director said logic-and-accuracy testing for equipment began the day of the meeting and that equipment delivery is scheduled for the Monday before the election, with early voting at the Elections Office and the Buzz beginning the Saturday before the runoff. “I truly feel like our only solution is to have another early voting location in Canton to take off some of the congestion,” the elections director said, describing continuing efforts to secure an additional Canton-area drop-off and early-voting site.

Why it matters: The board’s rejection of a pre-certification hand count preserves staff time and resources ahead of back-to-back election duties, while the director’s schedule and outreach plan aim to reduce voter wait times and assist voters in assisted-living and nursing facilities.

Most important facts

- Vote on hand count: The board voted 4-1 against a motion to conduct a pre-certification hand count of ballots for the Sept. 23 runoff. The motion lacked sustained support because several board members cited recent flawless audit results and logistical constraints.

- Runoff schedule and key dates: The director reported equipment delivery the Monday before the election (Sept. 22), the runoff election on Sept. 23, and that computation and canvassing would begin the following day. Early voting hours were announced: Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Elections Office and the Buzz and weekdays 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. during the second week noted in the director’s report. Poll worker training for November will begin Sept. 26. (The director said some dates in the printed packet were incorrect and that corrected dates would be distributed.)

- Absentee ballots and turnout: The office sent 135 absentee-by-mail ballots on the prior Friday; the director said additional absentee mailings continued but that mail ballots remained a small portion of current activity.

- Voter outreach to senior facilities: Staff member Donna is focusing on in-person visits to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to help activity directors assist residents with voter registration and absentee applications; she reported two visits completed and additional scheduled visits.

- Congestion in Canton and temporary fixes: Long wait times during the last presidential election — reported as 30–45 minutes in traffic and additional parking delay — have prompted staff to designate specific parking for absentee drop-off and to continue seeking an additional early-voting site in Canton.

- Legislative priorities and equipment rules: The director outlined several legislative priorities to discuss at a regional meeting, including clarification of a deadline to remove QR codes from ballots, seeking rules to prevent changes within 90 days of an election, and consideration of lowering the runoff threshold from 50% to 45% to reduce runoff frequency. The director also read a letter from Charlene McGowan, an attorney for the Secretary of State’s office, noting that a county-level pilot to replace machines with hand-marked paper ballots likely would conflict with the state’s directive on a uniform voting system.

Audit and recount context

Board members debated the need for a pre-certification hand count against the backdrop of recent post-certification audits and a recount in an August special election that “came back letter perfect,” according to one board member. Several board members urged continued post-certification audits and risk-limiting audits (RLAs) when required by statute, while noting that RLAs are not mandatory for municipal elections and therefore will not be required for this Sept. 23 runoff; an RLA will be required for the November election that includes a PSC race.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of today’s agenda: Passed unanimously (Aye, unanimous). (Routine)

- Approval of prior meeting minutes (August regular meeting): Passed unanimously. (Routine)

- Approval of August 29 certification meeting timing: Passed unanimously. (Routine)

- Motion to conduct a pre-certification hand count for the Sept. 23 runoff: Motion defeated, 4-1 (no named roll-call recorded in transcript). Outcome: failed.

- Motion to adjourn: Passed. (Routine)

What board members said

John (board member), who moved the hand-count motion, said the count would “verify that nothing happened to their ballots” and framed the proposal as a way to reassure voters who have expressed concerns. Julie (board member) and others argued staff capacity, recent error-free audit results, and the proximity of other election tasks made an additional pre-certification hand count impractical this cycle.

Legal and procedural notes

The director said certification must be completed by statutory deadlines (the director referenced a noon certification deadline) and that the county must operate under the election code and state rules unless legislators change the law. The director also said the office cannot unilaterally pilot a change that would conflict with the state’s uniform voting-system requirements, referencing the letter from the Secretary of State’s attorney.

What’s next

The board will meet to review returns and to certify results according to the timetable the director circulated; corrected meeting dates will be distributed to board members. Staff will continue outreach to senior facilities, finalize early-voting logistics, continue poll worker training, and pursue an additional Canton-area voting location to ease congestion.

Ending note

Board members praised election staff for recent work and statewide recognition at a recent regional conference. Several members said they want to focus on broader post-certification audits and legislative outreach rather than adding a pre-certification hand count in this short window before the runoff.