Board approves temporary precinct moves, adds Taylor Brauner House as advance-voting site and sets drop-off plan for SD 35 special election

The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration on a 5-0 vote approved two temporary precinct location changes for the Nov. 18 special election in Georgia Senate District 35, authorized Taylor Brauner House in Smyrna as an advance in-person voting site for the special election and for an extra week that overlaps the Nov. 4 municipal/PSC early voting period, and agreed to accept absentee ballots at Taylor Brauner by a staffed drop-off (not an unmanned drop box) while maintaining a single legal drop box at the elections main office.

Board chairwoman (presiding officer) opened a public hearing on temporary precinct changes after the board amended the agenda earlier to add SD 35 items. Michael (elections staff) told the board the first relocation would move voters from Dobbins 01 (Windy Hill Community Center) to Dobbins 02 (Cobb County Adult Education Center) because the original facility could not make the needed dates. "There are only 5 voters in Dobbins 01 for SD 35," Michael said; Dobbins 02 is roughly 0.4 miles away. The second relocation changes Smyrna 3B (Cumberland Community Church) to Smyrna 3A (Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist Church); staff said the two facilities share the same parcel and that the move keeps voters driving to essentially the same site.

After brief public comment praising access to voting, the board voted 5-0 to approve both temporary precinct changes together. The board then considered the AIP (advance in person) schedule for the Nov. 18 SD 35 special election. Michael described the proposed site and hours: Taylor Brauner House would operate Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. for three weeks, plus two Saturdays (9 a.m.–5 p.m.); there would be no Sunday voting and no voting on Veterans Day. He said Taylor Brauner was selected after Smyrna Community Center proved unavailable and noted the site was checked for ADA access and electrical capacity.

Board members discussed practical issues for voters and staff during a one-week overlap when the last week of Nov. 4 early voting would coincide with the first week of Nov. 18 early voting. To reduce confusion, staff proposed setting up separate check-ins and separate rooms or clearly divided spaces inside Taylor Brauner for each election during that one overlapping week so voters could, if eligible, cast ballots for both Nov. 4 and Nov. 18 at the same building.

The board debated whether to install an unmanned drop box at Taylor Brauner during the overlap and longer AIP period. Daniel (board counsel) explained state restrictions on drop boxes: the number of drop boxes is limited under the applicable state statute to a formula (the lesser of the number of advanced locations or one box per 100,000 active voters), and adding a drop box at Taylor Brauner for the Nov. 4 period would exceed the board's current limit. He said two lawful options were (a) not to have a drop box there and instead accept absentee ballots at the site via a staffed clerk during business hours (which the statute permits), or (b) add a drop box after Nov. 4 that would only accept SD 35 ballots and therefore not risk commingling or accepting late Nov. 4 ballots.

Board members generally favored limiting confusion for voters. The board adopted the staff recommendation: by motion they (a) approved the AIP schedule for Nov. 18 and authorized Taylor Brauner House as an AIP location that may accept absentee ballots by staffed drop-off (not an unmanned drop box) during the full AIP period, and (b) approved adding Taylor Brauner House as an additional AIP site for the third week of early voting for Nov. 4 so Smyrna-area voters could cast ballots for both elections at a single nearby location during that overlap week. Both motions passed 5-0. Michael also said absentee outer envelopes for SD 35 mail ballots will be marked with a red label that identifies them as SD 35 ballots.

After further discussion about voters' habit of using drop boxes, the board voted 5-0 to add a legal drop box location for SD 35 at the main elections office ("dropbox only, no in-person voting" on the flyer). Board members agreed the main office drop box location would be explicitly labeled on communications materials and that Taylor Brauner House would be publicized as providing staffed ballot drop-off (not a drop box) and as an AIP site.

Finally, the board voted 5-0 to form a two-member board committee — board member Debbie and board member Reggie Turner — to work with elections staff and Cobb County communications on a prioritized outreach plan for SD 35. Board members described a long list of proposed measures including a press release, website landing page or QR code to a single SD 35 information page, frequent social-media reminders, signage at affected precincts and co-located facilities, short videos and graphics, and coordination with municipal websites and party/candidate outreach. Staff said some items will be possible immediately while others require further planning given communications staffing limits.

What the board approved

- Temporary precinct relocations: Dobbins 01 → Dobbins 02 (moves ~5 SD 35 voters; ~0.4 miles apart) and Smyrna 3B → Smyrna 3A (co-located parcels). Motion to approve both changes: passed 5-0. - AIP schedule and site: Taylor Brauner House authorized as AIP site for Nov. 18 (three weeks, M–F 8–6, two Saturdays 9–5; no Sunday; no voting on Veterans Day). Motion to approve AIP schedule: passed 5-0. - Additional AIP week: Taylor Brauner House added as an extra AIP site for the third week of the Nov. 4 early voting period (to reduce trips for Smyrna voters). Motion passed 5-0. - Drop boxes/drop-off: Staffed ballot drop-off will be provided at Taylor Brauner during business hours; an official drop box was added at the main elections office for SD 35 ("dropbox only, no in-person voting" on flyer). Motion to add main-office drop box and update flyer: passed 5-0. - Communications committee: two-member committee (Debbie and Reggie Turner) formed to work with staff on SD 35 outreach. Motion passed 5-0.

Board members and staff stressed the need for clear signage and repeated messaging so voters who are eligible for only one of the overlapping elections will not assume a ballot they submit applies to both races. Michael said staff will mail special precinct cards, attempt to ensure card text makes the distinctions clear, and that the SD 35 envelopes will carry a red identifying label.

Speakers and attributions in this article are limited to participants who spoke about these items during the meeting and are listed in the speakers section below. Quotations are verbatim from the meeting record where noted.

Ending

The board's actions set the polling locations and processes for SD 35 in place ahead of the special election; staff and the newly formed committee now begin an intensive communications effort intended to reduce voter confusion during the overlapping early-voting windows.