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Fulton County honors elections staff as residents press for records and investigations
Summary
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Feb. 4 as Registration and Elections Day and approved purchases for ballot security supplies. During public comment, voters and advocacy groups urged protection for election workers, transparency around seized 2020 materials and raised chain-of-custody concerns about past elections.
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 adopted a proclamation commending the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections for "professionalism and exemplary public service," and approved contracts to buy mandated watermark ballot paper and election-related supplies.
The board voted to approve a statewide contract for watermark security ballot paper in the amount of $240,000 and later approved separate statewide contracts for printing ($210,346.07) and security seals ($136,000). The motions passed with unanimous or near-unanimous support.
The proclamation was met with public comment emphasizing support for local election staff and urging transparency. "These are not political actors. They're our neighbors," said Kyle Gomez of Common Cause Georgia, who urged the board to support the professionals who run elections amid threats and scrutiny. Several callers and attendees noted the recent seizure of 2020 election materials and asked the county to explain chain-of-custody protections.
A caller who identified himself as Matt Roenczak asked whether election workers who submitted sworn affidavits about counterfeit ballots were included in the proclamation and pressed the board on prior admissions that some votes lacked required worker signoffs.
County and elections staff told commissioners the ballot-paper purchase is intended to cover immediate election needs. Commissioner Bridget Thorne asked whether a vendor change (Dominion’s acquisition by Liberty Vote) affected local contracts; staff said the state had not yet directed county changes.
The proclamation and procurement approvals close a public show of support by the commission as community members called for continued protections for election workers and clearer answers about records and security. The board did not take any formal action on investigatory requests raised during public comment.
