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DeKalb board debates how to handle registrations listing PO boxes under state law SB 189
Summary
Board members discussed operational responses to SB 189, which the transcript cites as prohibiting use of PO boxes/private mailbox services as proof of residency. Staff described the current letter‑and‑response process; members debated protections for homeless residents and domestic‑violence victims and whether to hold a 02/28 hearing to remove nonresponding registrants.
At a DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections meeting (date not specified in the transcript), the board held an extended discussion about compliance with a recently enacted state measure identified in the meeting as SB 189 and related code provisions.
Board member Gail Lee read aloud language cited in the transcript (identified as "217A2C") that says proof of a PO box or private mailbox service does not establish residency within a jurisdiction. Director Smith said the office’s process has not changed: when staff detect a registration showing a nonresidential address they send a notice to the registrant informing them and requesting updated information. Director Smith said the administrative clock is a 30‑day response window with mailing cushion that averages about 40 days before an elector may be moved to inactive status and then processed under routine list maintenance.
Board members debated how aggressively to act on nonresidential addresses. One member noted Gwinnett County sent 30‑day notices and later presented names for removal at an 02/28 meeting; another cautioned that people use nonresidential addresses for legitimate reasons, including homelessness or to shield addresses because of domestic violence. The discussion referenced Georgia’s VoteSafe program as an existing confidentiality accommodation for some voters.
Board member DeLay Lohman said the county lacks authority to create new residency‑verification pathways and urged the state elections board and secretary of state to issue clearer, uniform guidance. Other members expressed concern that accepting PO boxes without verification could, in theory, allow nonresidents to register and vote in DeKalb County.
The board agreed to distribute code references to members for review and did not take immediate removal action; members asked staff to await additional state guidance and to prepare notices and procedures for the specially called meeting where voter challenges will be addressed.
Why it matters: SB 189 changes how nonresidential addresses are treated for registration purposes. The discussion balances two priorities: preventing fraudulent registrations and preserving access for people who lack stable conventional addresses or require confidentiality.
