Members present: Stephen Kelehear (chair), Carol Byers
Registrar: Shaynee McClure
Old business
5A precinct move ad approval. S. McClure asked the board to approve a newspaper ad stating the
location change for precinct 5A. The board approved it. Later in the meeting, an audience member
asked if the ad could be placed in the Spanish language newspaper. The board and McClure agreed to
place it in the Spanish language paper.
New business
UPS addresses.
At the last meeting, the issue of voters using a UPS mailing address was raised. McClure
reported they found 19 voters registered at the UPS address. They used the UPS street address, not box
numbers. They sent letters to all 19, and 9 were returned, undeliverable. She said the letters said the
voters could be challenged and they need to provide their residential addresses. They included a voter
registration card where the voter could make a change of address. They have not heard back yet from
any of the voters. She also said she has asked the county attorney if they could send challenge letters to
the other voters. They would flag these voters. If they come to vote, they would have to prove where
they live.
An audience member asked if any of them voted. She said three of the voters are in inactive status but
did not know if any of them had voted. The audience member asked if they have a process for monitoring voter rolls. McClure said applicants are checked by the Secretary of State’s Office, using Drivers Services and Social Security databases. She added they receive lists of deaths from the state and the local vital records registrar.
The audience member asked if they have a proactive process. McClure said voters are put in inactive
status if they have not voted in two election cycles. The audience member replied, “The federal
government has given millions of illegal immigrants Social Security cards, and they can use those to get driver’s licenses.” McClure explained they follow the law and referred him to legal sources.
An audience member asked Drivers Services to do the same checks for ID cards as driver’s licenses.
McClure said she assumes they go through the same checks as driver’s licenses.
Another audience member mentioned her father-in-law died several years ago. He was still on the voter rolls until she brought it to the attention of the elections office last fall. She went on to provide a
printout showing two voters with the same name, living at the same address but with different voter ID
numbers. C. Byers, who used to work for the elections office, said when there are two people with Jr.
and Sr. suffixes who don’t use them then that can result in two voters with the same name at the same
address. McClure said they would check on it.
The other member said he felt the board and staff were not proactive and they made errors. McClure
told him they follow the law. They should see their legislators and the state elections board about their
issues.
Did you know that the public can attend Board of Registration and Elections meetings?
These meetings are open to the public by Georgia law.
Become a Peanut Gallery Volunteer Monitor at our next training on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm! visit https://georgiapeanutgallery.org/trainings/ for more information!
Be First to Comment