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Fulton County BRE discontinues pilot courier 'drop bag' program, cites staff safety
Summary
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted to end a pilot program that consolidated daily courier pick-ups of absentee ballots to a central hub, citing low usage (46 ballots), staff-safety concerns and past intimidation episodes; staff said the one-time cost was roughly under $5,000.
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted by voice to discontinue a pilot courier program that collected absentee ballots daily in sealed “drop” bags and transported them to a central hub, saying the program’s safety risks for staff outweighed its benefits.
Miss Williams, the department operations lead, told the board the pilot had resulted in 46 ballots returned to date and required a one-time purchase of ballot bags with tamper-evident seals that cost "roughly under $5,000." Staff also said they will continue daily pickups as a security measure even if the pilot ends.
Board members debated whether the pilot’s convenience for a small number of voters justified continuing while the county faces heightened scrutiny and episodes of intimidation. Member Crawford put the motion to discontinue the pilot, and the board approved it by voice vote; the chair said the pilot will be discontinued after advance voting closes Friday.
Several members and staff described past incidents of intimidation when drop boxes were introduced in 2020 — people photographing staff, following vehicles and standing at collection points — and said they worried the behavior could recur if the practice continued during higher-turnout elections. Legal staff clarified that the pilot expanded the number of registrar locations temporarily and that voters can still personally deliver absentee ballots to regular registrar offices under existing code.
Board members discussed posting daily courier pickup numbers on the website for transparency; staff said state code requires posting turnout and drop-box numbers but does not require posting the courier pilot statistics. Members said the pilot’s low use, the limited cost (a one-time purchase under $5,000), and safety concerns led them to end the program for now; the board said it may revisit the question at a later meeting.
The motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records the board’s verbal approval but does not include a numerical roll-call tally.
