Meeting called to order at 9:35 AM
Present: Alan Shinall, Chairman, Cindy Castello (R), Donald Sams (D), Rachel Kinsey (D), Anne Dover,
Supervisor; Anne Brombaugh, Attorney for the Board
Absent: Mike Byrd (R)
Approximately 30 observers including myself
The Chair invited people to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Anne Dover was called upon to read a letter she is sending to the Governor, Sec’y of State, State
Legislators and others with interest. The letter focused on a number of issues including:
? The accuracy of the QR codes used by the Dominion system especially as they were used in
Dekalb County during the recount
? Are election officials allowed to do a hand count without special approval
? The need for more support from the State to assist with the voting and counting process
? The need for more common-sense legislation to assist the Boards of Election in responding to
voter concerns
? The need for solutions to resolve the issues being presented by some voters.
The agenda for the meeting was approved as presented.
The minutes of the May 2, 2022 meeting were approved.
Rachel Kinsey, Board member, read the Code of Conduct for members of the public who attend County
meetings.
Public Comments:
First Speaker – Thanked Poll Workers for doing an excellent job in the Primary Election and for
answering all questions. Continued to request a hand count of all ballots after each election, especially
the Run-Off on June 21 st. Asked why there is no audit like Corporations have annually. Spoke about the
issues in Dekalb County after the recent Primary.
Second Speaker – Thanked Anne Dover. Indicated that he was a former Poll worker. Was very
comfortable with the process during the Primary. He developed concerns when he saw the Voting Tape
at the end of the day. If there was manipulation the numbers did not match what the votes should have
been. Claimed that there has been fraud and corruption across the state and that the scanner tape was
not accurate. Requested a hand count from three precincts to do a reconciliation. Challenged the Board
to conduct the recount.
Third Speaker – Identified as a Poll Worker. Very impressed with all the procedures and thanks
everyone for a fabulous job.
Fourth Speaker – Encouraged the Board not to certify the election. Spoke about the Open Records law
and how it is being applied in this case. Expressed concerns about the Absentee Ballots that need to be
validated. Is concerned that School Board candidates need to live in their district. Stated that there is a
need to be able to challenge the eligibility of candidates for office and cited relevant codes relating to
these issues.
Fifth Speaker – A long-time resident of the County. Says he is not going away until these machines are
gone. Claimed that the elections are not honest. Who knows what the QR codes are for and what is
included in them? Why can we not read the codes? Referred to issues in Dekalb and Fulton Counties.
Requested that there be recounts statewide.
Sixth Speaker – Thanked Anne Dover for doing a terrific job under the circumstances and for her letter
to the Governor.
Seventh Speaker – Stated that the letter is still not enough. We’ve done all we can to encourage a hand
count but ignored. There is a clear lack of transparency. Why is the Board not interested in accuracy?
Who do you work for – the State or the County? You don’t listen to the voters. We’re all ready to
participate in the hand count. How do we work together?
Eighth Speaker – Claims that the State requires a readable printout of the votes but there are only QR
Codes that people cannot read. Why do most candidates generally win overwhelmingly even without
campaigning! We need to confirm the outcome of the voting, but we are not able to confirm the votes
with the Dominion system.
Ninth Speaker – Presented a list of 7 questions in writing and requested that the Board take the time to
respond. Specifically asked if the Cherokee Board will make changes. There is a need to earn back the
voter’s trust.
Tenth Speaker – Commended the Board for doing an excellent job but is very concerned about the
bullying and poor behavior of the people who are attending the meetings. The vast majority of
residents of Cherokee County fully support the Board and the honesty of the elections.
Eleventh Speaker – Expressed distress at the behavior of the Board at a special meeting on May 27 th .
Was told to be quiet or leave the meeting. Then asked where in the law is it forbidden to do a hand
count of the ballots?
At the conclusion of the comments, the Board voted to go into Executive Session.
Following the Executive Session, the Board reconvened.
Anne Brombaugh, Attorney for the Board indicated that she had no report this month.
Question from an attendee who was not recognized by the Chair – At the bottom of a report it says in a
note that there is an advisory that the State and the Jurisdictions do not have to use the QR codes. It
does not say Counties. Why? The response is that many States do not require all counties to use the
Dominion machines. That leaves it up to the Jurisdictions that do not use it. If the State adopts the
Dominion machines Statewide, this does not apply.
Anne Dover reported that there is an open request regarding absentee ballots and the Drop Boxes. In
the future, the County will start counting the absentee votes at 1:00 PM on election day instead of
waiting until the Polls close. The cost of operating the Drop boxes is very high. It costs about $3000 to
receive 248 ballots or approximately $2.50 per ballot. She is requesting that the Drop Boxes be
removed.
The next meeting will be on July 11 due to the July 4th holiday.
The June Primary Runoff will start on Tuesday, June 7 (tomorrow).
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00
*These Meeting notes were typed and prepared by a volunteer Become a Peanut Gallery Volunteer Monitor at our next training on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6pm! visit https://georgiapeanutgallery.org/contact/ for more information!
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