SPECIAL ELECTIONS/RUNOFFS AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS:
– State portal for absentee ballot request NOT open for the GA Senate District 39 runoff. Fulton County will entertain requests for absentee ballots on their portal, even if the state will not
– There was a great deal of confusion as to whether or not there would be rollover absentee ballot mailings for either the Special Election for the 5th Congressional District or the GA State Senate District 39. Even Mr. Barron seemed uncertain at times. Upshot is that there is likely NO rollover for absentee ballots for Dec 1.
– Early voting is in effect for these two elections – For voters in both the 5th Congressional District AND GA Senate District 39, they will have to undergo 2 separate election processes, completing one election, then signing in separately for the second. There will be two separate sign-in areas and two separate sets of machines, one for each election, even at the same sites!
– Given the short timeline for absentee ballot processing for Dec 1., those receiving absentee ballots should use drop boxes rather than USPS to return their completed ballots.
POLLING LOCATION CHANGE: Precinct 08H, Covenant Presbyterian Church. They are opening their Day Care Center, so can no longer serve as a polling place. That polling place is being moved to Sutton Mills School, about 1.1 miles away. This will impact 2800 voters. Board members recommended various methods of communicating this change to affected voters.
– It was stated that there WILL be rollovers of 2020 absentee ballot requests for the January 5, 2021 Senatorial runoff elections
– Plans for hand count: 125 counting stations to begin counting tomorrow. There will be 12 pairs of observers (1 Republican and 1 Democrat) during the process; each pair will observe 10 counting stations.
– The question was raised – and not answered – whether this count qualified as the official recount for GA
– Several speakers questioned the use of the complicated voting machines/processes used in GA in Nov. 3rd election. Systems were described as “glitchy” and “buggy”. Speakers requested return to paper ballots as a simpler, easier solution. Several speakers also praised Fulton County for vast improvements in processes and outcomes over what happened in June.
Did you know that the public can attend Board of Registration and Elections meetings?
These meetings are open to the public by Georgia law. Georgia Open Meetings Act.
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