DeKalb elections office reports shrinking registration backlog, outlines NGE and no-contact mailer timetable

Executive Director Smith told the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections on Aug. 14 that the office has reduced a voter-registration backlog and is processing mailings from the state that could change elector status ahead of the November municipal elections.

"As far as voter registration numbers, the registered voters as of August 8 totaled 601,743. Of those, active numbers were 506,671," Executive Director Smith said, and then provided an updated tally: "As of this morning, August 14, the total number of registered voters in DeKalb County totaled 603,036. The total number of active registered voters totaled 508,376." She said inactive registrants numbered 94,660 as of Aug. 14.

The numbers matter because of the state's list-maintenance processes. Smith told the board that the Secretary of State mailed two types of notices this summer: NGE (no-general-election) mailings on July 10 and no-contact mailers on July 22. "It's less than 10% of our registered voter population, but 58,000 is a substantial amount," she said, referring to the county's run of mailings handled by the state's vendor.

Staff described the backlog and how they are addressing it. Registration Supervisor Holly Smith said the office had an initial backlog of about 28,000 applications after a May 20 surge and has reduced it substantially. As of Aug. 8, applications left to be processed totaled 17,230 (15,986 Department of Driver Services transfers, 386 online/Oliver, 578 handwritten). As of Aug. 14 staff reported 13,492 outstanding applications: 12,321 DDS transfers, 137 online/Oliver, 138 from the county's My Voter Page (MVP), and 896 handwritten; manual cancellation processing increased to 1,606.

Holly Smith explained the figures for list maintenance are fluid: "If those 10 people make contact with us, then it changes. Their statuses won't change. So therefore, we don't have an exact number of how many electors will be affected," she said, describing the state's practice of providing draft lists and then allowing time for elector contact before statuses are finalized.

The board asked for more transparency on how list-maintenance results are reported. Board member Gail Lee requested a categorical breakdown when the state provides finalized lists so the public can see how many names move between status categories and for what reasons. Executive Director Smith and Holly Smith said they will share whatever breakdown the Secretary of State supplies.

Staff gave timing and return-mail figures. Holly Smith told the board the Secretary of State's NGE mailings went out July 10 and no-contact mailings on July 22; the county reported 16,144 returned confirmations since May 21. The state adds a 10-day buffer to the 30-day statutory window for NGE, so staff told the board they expect status changes for NGE notices within roughly a week of the meeting and for no-contact mailings toward August–September.

On processing capacity, staff said the largest portion of outstanding applications come from DDS transfers and that most DDS entries are duplicates (staff estimated the majority are duplicates). Executive Director Smith said the department has added temporary staff and expects to process the remaining DDS backlog "by the end of this month/September" and to clear online registrations to daily processing ahead of the Oct. 6 voter-registration deadline for the November municipal elections.

The director also gave related updates: a mandatory risk-limiting audit on July 24 audited 4,626 ballots in the Public Service Commission runoff with no errors; the department is reorganizing long-term storage and bringing on temporary staff to handle anticipated 2026 volumes; the county approved sale of surplus D1/D2 Dominion hubs and staff are reaching out to other jurisdictions as buyers; and a mobile outreach unit was authorized and will be funded from a 2024 surplus with deployment expected during 2026.

Public commenters urged different priorities. Elizabeth Shackleford used her public-comment time to criticize board appointee Gail Lee, saying, "It is a travesty that Gail Lee, an election conspiracy theorist, has been appointed to this board," and accused Lee of unfounded claims about dead voters on rolls. Assistant poll manager Michael Beach urged the board to plan for anticipated voter challenges and to increase transparency about decisions related to challenges.

The board asked staff for ongoing updates. Several board members requested weekly or regular dashboard updates on processing progress. Director Smith said daily leaderboards are available and she will provide regular updates leading up to the registration deadline.

The board moved on after the director's report and later approved intergovernmental agreements for municipal elections, early voting dates and locations, and a membership in the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions; those decisions were taken after the registration discussion and are recorded separately in the meeting record.

Looking ahead, staff emphasized the Oct. 6 registration deadline for the November municipal elections and advised electors who receive NGE or no-contact mailers to follow the steps on the county flyer (responding by mail, using the My Voter Page, or contacting the office) to preserve active status.