The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections unanimously approved a set of changes and a limited document review at a special pre-certification meeting on Nov. 21.

The board voted to relocate an absentee ballot drop box from Roswell Library to East Roswell Library for the municipal runoff, after staff told the board cameras at the Roswell Library were not capturing the drop box correctly. "We are requesting a change ... to relocate the drop box at Roswell Library to East Roswell Library to ensure it is captured on camera footage," Director Williams said. The board voted to move the drop box and the change will be posted on the county website and the Secretary of State's "My Voter Page."

Director Williams also confirmed advanced voting for the municipal runoffs will begin the coming Saturday and run through Wednesday with a mix of weekend and weekday hours. For the December municipal runoffs staff told the board advanced voting would be available Saturday, Nov. 22 through Wednesday, Nov. 26, with Saturday hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday–Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the drop box will be accessible during those hours. Staff said clerks and MVP will be updated so voters see the correct location.

The board also approved advanced voting sites and precinct participation for the Senate District 35 runoff. The board named CT Martin Recreation Center and Wolf Creek Library as advanced voting locations (advanced voting Dec. 8–12, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.) and set election day for Dec. 16. Staff told the board that Northwest Scott's Crossing was removed as an advanced voting location because turnout there has been low; precinct assignments themselves were unchanged.

During pre-certification review, a board member raised an apparent metadata error in the CT Martin tape: the file header showed the poll opened Oct. 27, 2025, but closed on Dec. 31, 2125, while the printed report showed the correct election date. "It appears the date was correct when it opened and then incorrect when it closed," the member said, requesting opening tapes and slug files to verify how that change occurred and who made it. The member moved that the board obtain the opening tapes for the advanced voting sites for review; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Director Williams told the board the date in the tape header was a manual-entry error: "The date on top of the tape was not correct," Williams said, explaining that staff manually enter date and time when running tapes after machines return to the office. "That team did not do so. But, again, it does not change the election results," Williams said, and pledged to update standard operating procedures and to file a Canvas discrepancy form if required.

Williams described the office's reconciliation process: before certification staff physically count ballots in their possession and reconcile that count against tape totals; they also use a counting machine (separate from tabulators) to speed counting of emergency or unscanned ballots. Staff said the practice has been in place for at least four years.

The board directed staff to provide the requested opening tapes for the three advanced-voting locations and signaled it will reconvene at 3:00 p.m. Monday to continue pre-certification and to certify by 5:00 p.m. per statutory deadlines. The special meeting was adjourned unanimously.

Next steps: staff will update MVP and municipal clerks about the drop box change, provide the requested opening tapes and procedures documentation, and the board will meet Monday afternoon to resume certification.