The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration certified the Dec. 16 special election runoff for Senate District 35 at a Dec. 22 certification meeting, after elections staff presented vote totals and addressed a registration-count discrepancy.

Michael, an elections staff member who delivered the director's election report, told the board "we saw 1,864 voters at Smyrna Community Center" for advance in-person voting and said the jurisdiction recorded 1,902 election-day voters. "We had 30 ballots returned. 2 of those ballots were rejected, and we accepted 28," he said. Michael reported two provisional ballots and a grand total of 3,796 votes, which he described as "roughly 5.3% turnout."

Board members moved and seconded a motion to certify the results. After members present voiced their approval, Speaker 1 stated, "And the election is certified," and the board asked members to remain after the meeting to sign the certification paperwork.

Why it matters: certification makes the results official for local administrative purposes and clears the way for any follow-up scheduling related to the vacancy that prompted the special election.

Staff also explained why publicly visible registration numbers did not tie out across systems. Michael said the EPulse report includes active and inactive registrants while the EMS roll tracks active registrations only. He said a manual entry had added a Mableton combination record that was not eligible for SD 35 and caused a reported difference of 1,156 registrations between the two systems. "That was the difference of 1,156 voters," he said, explaining why some precinct reports showed a higher registered-voter figure.

Several board members urged a tighter protocol for manual entries into summary reports. "When you start allowing manual entries into election results, that gets... it makes contested," Speaker 2 said, arguing for a double-check process. Michael said he would "get with registration" to "hammer out the detail and make sure there's a check and balance" to avoid future discrepancies.

Board members also discussed scheduling constraints if a successor election is required. Michael reviewed the statute-based timing in general terms, saying, "Based on the law, I believe the governor has to issue the writ of election within 10 days," and noting requirements for overseas ballots: those ballots must be ready 45 days before a scheduled election. The board discussed calendar implications, with members citing possible February or March windows and potential conflicts with other scheduled elections.

Other clarifications provided during the meeting included an explanation of undervotes versus blank ballots: Michael said a blank ballot occurs when a voter skips all races on a multi-race ballot, while an undervote reflects a voter failing to vote in one or more contests. The board flagged planning needs as staff noted scenarios with as many as 34 precincts; members asked staff to begin advance-in-person staffing planning early.

The board set its next meeting for Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 4:19 p.m.

The certification and the procedural steps described at the meeting do not change any reported ballot totals; they document the board's acceptance of the count and identify process items staff said they will address moving forward.