Cherokee County elections staff begin logic-and-accuracy testing; public commenters urge precinct hand-counts

Cherokee County election staff told the Board of Elections on Monday that logic-and-accuracy testing for a special election began this week and early voting has opened, while public commenters renewed calls for hand-counted ballots at precincts and staff pushed back on the feasibility of that change.

In a director’s report, Director Anne (last name not specified) said the office invited local legislators, members of a state study committee and State Election Board representatives to witness testing of voting equipment. “We invited our local delegation, members of the election Blue Ribbon Study Committee, candidates for the Senate District 21 and the Board of Commissioners Race 1, to join us for the logic and accuracy testing,” she said. She added that the office mailed 143 absentee ballots the first day they were able to send them and that early voting was under way at the election office and a drive-up “buzz” location.

The director also described outreach projects in development, including short instructional videos on voter registration and absentee-by-mail procedures and a training program for activity coordinators at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to help residents complete absentee applications. On the planned videos, she said staff plan to “keep them to maybe 5 to 10 minutes” and set a target completion of January 2026.

Why it matters: The logic-and-accuracy tests and outreach efforts are part of the office’s preparations for multiple races this year, and public concern over voting methods has persisted in Cherokee County. The board must follow state and federal law and State Election Board rules, but staff and several board members emphasized transparency measures and invitations for observers.

Public comment and staff responses

Two public commenters spoke during the meeting. Rita Rorensen told the board she and other citizens have repeatedly raised the same concerns without seeing changes and urged the county to return to hand-marked paper ballots counted at precincts, referencing a statutory citation verbally as “21 2 40” during her remarks. “We are not following these. We're not following the law on 21 2 40 April, and we've given you that every month,” Rorensen said.

Bruce Burnhaman, identified in the meeting as a poll manager, said hand-counting at precincts was impractical for poll workers. “I... don't really relish the thought of hand counted ballots being counted at the polling place on the night of elections. Because many times... we're there... and then we've got to hand count ballots, we may not be out of there till midnight,” Burnhaman said. He warned that fatigue could increase errors and argued that post-election audits and existing safeguards support confidence in machine-counted ballots.

Board and staff statements about legal limits and transparency

Several board members and staff stressed that local practice must follow state and federal law and State Election Board rules. Board member Julie (last name not specified), who called the meeting to order, and others repeatedly said the county is constrained by those laws and rules and that any policy change at the county level would require legislative action.

Board member Scott (last name not specified) and others noted the county has invited observers to logic-and-accuracy testing and audits. “Anne invites all kinds of people to come in for transparency and see what we're doing as a board and the staff,” Scott said. Director Anne and staff also said Dr. Jan Johnston of the State Election Board attended the local testing and complimented the staff’s work; Anne said Johnston “was very complimentary of the staff.”

Operational details raised

Director Anne said the office has a long-standing relationship with the local U.S. Postal Service and monitors mail delays; she said the office contacts a postal liaison when ballots appear to be delayed. She described standard procedures for absentee handling on election day and said the office typically picks up mail at the post office in the morning to start intake and preserve chain of custody.

On staffing and continuity, Anne said Grace and Chris will lead the office while some staff attend the upcoming Georgia election conference and that poll-worker recruitment remains ongoing.

Board actions

The board took routine procedural votes during the meeting. The agenda and several sets of prior minutes were approved unanimously, and the meeting adjourned by motion. (See “Votes at a glance” below for a list of formal actions recorded in the meeting.)

Ending

Board members encouraged residents with questions to consult the election office website and attend outreach events or logic-and-accuracy sessions; staff reiterated an open-door approach for members of the public who want to review procedures or ask questions. Director Anne asked residents who cannot attend to contact the office; she said staff will schedule visits and educational meetings for groups and facilities upon request.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve meeting agenda. Mover: Julie (called meeting to order). Second: not specified in transcript. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Motion: Approve minutes of July 7 meeting. Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Motion: Approve minutes of July 21 meeting (certification meeting). Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Motion: Approve minutes of special meeting regarding candidate eligibility. Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Motion: Adjourn. Mover/Second: motions made and seconded. Outcome: approved (unanimous).