Cobb County Board certifies June 16 runoff as recount continues; staff reports turnout and minor reporting discrepancies

The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration on Tuesday certified the results of the June 16 general primary runoff while election staff updated the board on an automatic recount in the Public Service Commission District 3 Republican primary.

The board voted to certify the June 16 runoff; the motion was seconded and the chair announced the election was certified. The transcript records voice votes but does not provide a roll-call tally for that motion. Earlier in the meeting the board amended the agenda to add discussion of the PSC District 3 recount; that amendment was approved and recorded as passing four to zero.

Elections office staff, represented in the meeting by Michael Dorff, reported operational totals and explained small reporting differences between the county’s EMS and the Jarvis reporting system. Dorff said one week of early voting produced 32,962 votes across 13 physical locations, and that the county’s active voter total stands at 516,365 with an overall turnout of 14.82 percent. He reported absentee-by-mail totals of 2,129 regular ABM (including 18 provisionals) and 25 UOCAVA (including three provisionals). Dorff explained that provisionals and "vote-save" or supplemental records are allocated differently in EMS and Jarvis, producing small discrepancies (seven votes overall in the final totals) that are artifacts of reporting methods rather than lost ballots.

Public commenters raised operational concerns. Andy Kimbrell, a poll watcher, told the board he visited 14 precincts and observed low staffing in multiple locations, poll workers performing multiple roles, and isolated printer and scanner failures. "Low staffing was a concern that I saw more than a few times," Kimbrell said. Melissa Hendrickson, who also addressed the board, said she saw similar staffing patterns but no major issues beyond those items and thanked Director Phillips for prompt responses to suggestions about signage and parking.

On the PSC District 3 recount, staff and counsel said the recount was initiated under the automatic statutory provision after a margin under the threshold triggered state directives. As of 1:45 p.m. staff reported they had completed election-day ballots (about 83,000 ballots in 39 boxes) and had scanned roughly 33,595 of about 90,000 total ballots. The county received additional scanner/monitor equipment from vendor Liberty Vote; staff said the Secretary of State’s office was involved in certifying replacement equipment and that further L&A (logic and accuracy) checks had been done or were required for new machines.

Given the Secretary of State’s deadline to complete recounts by 5:00 p.m. Friday, staff recommended and the board approved scheduling a potential special meeting on Friday, June 26 at 3:00 p.m. to certify or recertify results if the recount produces changes. The chair noted the meeting could be canceled if it proved unnecessary.

What’s next: staff said they would provide end-of-day updates on how many ballots and boxes have been scanned and whether additional certified scanners are operating to expedite the process. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled July 13 at 3:00 p.m.