DeKalb elections director reports 600,717 registered voters; board schedules pre‑certification for June 18

DeKalb County’s elections director told the Board of Registration and Elections on May 8 that the county had 600,717 registered voters as of the morning of May 8 and provided operational updates on return‑mail processing, poll‑worker staffing and upcoming testing and certification timelines for a June 17 special primary.

The director, Keisha Smith, read the county totals during the meeting: “As of this morning, the total number of registered voters in DeKalb County as of May 8 totaled 600,717. The active registered voters totaled 514,802. Inactive registered voters is 85,915.” She also said the department had 4,861 outstanding Department of Driver Services (DDS) applications to process and that manual voter‑registration cancellations had risen to 294.

Why this matters: the board must complete a pre‑certification meeting no later than 3 p.m. on the Friday after the election and hold formal certification the Monday after the election. The board agreed to hold a pre‑certification meeting on Wednesday, June 18, at 10 a.m.; certification is scheduled for Monday, June 23.

Operational details and timeline

Smith said staff continue to sort and process returned mail previously reported in preliminary counts; department staff added temporary and permanent employees to process return mail and were auditing the process to complete it ahead of registration deadlines. Smith said the department had received 95 absentee‑ballot requests as of the day of the meeting and that ballot proofs had been approved; logic‑and‑accuracy testing will begin May 19, open for public observation.

The department reported it had hired poll workers for the June election and established a reserve pool to fill vacancies; poll‑worker training was underway and described positively by several poll‑worker commenters. Smith said the department is planning a poll‑worker pay increase that will raise that budget line in coming months.

Budget and line‑item questions

Board members asked for clarification about budget lines. Smith reported a year‑to‑date budget of $14,603,522 with more than $10,000,000 remaining as of April 30, and said larger current expenses were salaries and professional services. Board member Anthony Luedis raised a question about a “dues” line that showed a $200 budget but approximately $2,000 in expenditures; Smith said she did not have an immediate drill‑down and would research the discrepancy and report back.

Board scheduling and legal update

The board discussed statutory requirements for pre‑certification and certification. Legal counsel said several election bills remained pending signature by the governor and, as of the morning of May 8, had not yet been signed. The board set the pre‑certification meeting for Wednesday, June 18, at 10 a.m., and staff agreed to confirm DCTV coverage and that preliminary materials would be provided.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda approval: voice vote; approved by the board. - Minutes (03/13/2025): approved by voice vote. - Minutes (04/10/2025): approved by voice vote with one abstention (Susan Motter) noted by the clerk. - Adjournment: approved by voice vote.

The board did not enter executive session. The meeting moved from operational reports to member remarks and then adjourned.