DeKalb elections staff report no precinct discrepancies in PSC District 3 runoff pre-certification review

Ms. Smith, the elections office executive director, presented the board with the unofficial and incomplete pre-certification report for the special PSC District 3 Democratic runoff and reported that staff found no precinct-level discrepancies between ballots cast and unique voter credits.

“On election day, 18,679; advanced voting, we processed 5,347; and absentee by mail, we received 172,” Ms. Smith said, summarizing the report. She also said the total ballots cast in the election were 24,198. The report the staff compiled and distributed in the board packet compared precinct tabulation totals to unique voter IDs and covered the precinct-by-precinct returns across pages 3 through 8 of the packet.

Ms. Smith said the review was conducted in accordance with State Elections Board Rule 180-3-1-.12, which requires a post‑Election Day review of precinct returns. “I am pleased to report…there were no discrepancies,” she said, referring to the matching of ballot counts and voter credits.

Board members asked clarifying questions about data sources. Ms. Smith explained that the number of ballots cast comes from the tabulation performed on election night; the voter credits come from poll pads and the ePulse system for in-person voting or were entered into Jarvis for absentee ballots. When asked whether the staff looks for duplicate names or IDs, Ms. Smith confirmed that the review would reflect duplications in the report if present and that this election showed no precinct with more ballots than voters.

The board was not asked to take action at this meeting on certification; Ms. Smith said staff would continue resolving any remaining issues and return for formal certification on the scheduled date.

The report thanked poll workers and elections staff for their work on canvassing and return reconciliation.