DeKalb elections staff report single voided absentee-envelope discrepancy; public commenter calls precertification 'disruptive'

Elections staff told the DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections on Dec. 5 that the county’s precertification review of the Dec. 2 municipal general runoff found one administrative anomaly but no other discrepancies.

Ms. Smith, an elections staff member who presented the board’s precertification report, said staff compared the total number of ballots cast to unique voter IDs by precinct and by vote method. She said the report lists each tabulator and counting group and explains any discrepancy. "One voter returned a voided absentee ballot but did not mark the envelope as voided," Ms. Smith said, explaining that staff separate outside and inner envelopes and preserve voter privacy when such a mismatch is found.

Ms. Smith told the board that the single voided-envelope occurrence did not require a change in procedures and that staff followed protocols from the Secretary of State’s office. "It did not," she said when asked whether any procedural tweak was needed.

The meeting also included one public comment. Betsy Shackleford said she has worked as a poll worker and questioned whether there has ever been a documented, validated case of ballot stuffing in Georgia. She criticized the State Election Board’s precertification requirement as "a solution in search of a problem" and said, "I believe the intent is to add work and chaos to certification of elections," calling the rule disruptive to local election offices.

Acting Chair DeLay Lohman (appointed for the session) acknowledged the public comment and proceeded with the staff presentation. There was no vote related to the report; the board moved forward with no further action required.

The board’s next procedural step was adjournment; no additional follow-up or changes to election procedures were recorded in the meeting.