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DeKalb elections board certifies June 17 PSC primary, approves July 7–11 early voting for runoff
Summary
The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections certified the June 17 special Public Service Commission primary, reviewed turnout and ballot-type counts, and unanimously approved early voting locations and hours for a July 15 runoff.
The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections on June 23 certified the official and complete results of the June 17 special primary for Public Service Commissioner and approved early voting dates, times and locations for the resulting July 15 runoff.
The board voted to certify the June 17 election after the department presented the official report. Director Keisha Smith said, “there were 508,223 active voters. Ballots cast in this, special primary, public service commissioner election was 29,108. The overall turnout in DeKalb County was 5.73% of those active voters.” The department reported 20,053 Election Day ballots, 8,730 early votes, 297 domestic absentee-by-mail ballots and 28 provisionals accepted with seven rejected.
The certification followed public comment in which local poll workers and observers thanked the department and urged steps to reduce runoff frequency. Janet Grant, an area poll manager who supervised multiple precincts in the June primary, told the board she appreciated “the commitment of poll workers” and urged the board “to approve early voting access consistent with the June primary.” Michael Beach, an assistant poll manager in Decatur, praised improvements in training and suggested the county “start talking about ranked choice voting.”
After certifying the election, the board recessed briefly to sign paperwork and then approved the recommended early voting plan for the runoff. The approved early voting period is Monday, July 7 through Friday, July 11, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at three sites: the DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections Office (Suite 500), Dunwoody Library and Salem Panola Library. The board voted unanimously to approve the locations and hours.
Director Smith said a public notice and the required L&A (logic and accuracy) testing have been posted; L&A testing is scheduled to begin the week following the meeting. She also noted that UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) ballots were not applicable for this special primary because there was no federal contest on the ballot.
The board set a tentative pre-certification meeting related to the runoff for July 18 at 10 a.m. to review results and next steps; the board also discussed processes for notifying the public about absentee ballot deadlines and other administrative details.
The department emphasized equipment and staffing numbers used in the June election: 971 poll workers hired, 298 tested and deployed poll pads, 1,249 touch-screen units and 158 scanners. The presentation showed 147 polling places were open for the special primary (out of 191 precincts on the rolls) following earlier consolidations.
Next steps for the department include completing any outstanding cures for absentee/provisional ballots, finishing L&A testing, and implementing the early voting schedule for the runoff. The board signed the certification paperwork after the vote and set the July 7–11 early voting schedule in place.
