There was no discussion of the State Election Board’s investigation of Athens-Clarke County’s elections office at the ACC Board of Elections meeting Tuesday. Turns out, there was no investigation.
Last month, the State Elections Board directed its executive director, Mike Coan, to investigate elections officials of eight Democratic-leaning counties, including Athens-Clarke, over their dismissals of mass challenges of voter registrations.
In Tuesday’s meeting of the state board, Coan gave his report, and said he was alarmed at what he found in some counties, such as Cobb. But he didn’t interview anyone in Athens, he said. There was no point, because Athens-Clarke did not receive any voter challenges this election cycle, as previously reported in Flagpole.
Critics at Tuesday’s state meeting, including Rep. Saira Draper (D-Atlanta) accused the Republican-controlled state board of targeting Democratic-voting counties, but that wasn’t so, said state board member Janelle King. After hearing last month about alleged wrongdoing in dismissing mass challenges in one Georgia county, the state board had asked anyone in the audience who perceived problems in their home counties to raise a hand, and somebody nominated Athens.
Challengers “by and large had far and away more sophisticated technology” to detect ineligible voters on county rolls than local or state election authorities, Coan said.
Meanwhile in Clarke County, all systems are go as the early voting period for the Nov.5 election approaches, ACC Director of Elections and Voter Registration Charlotte Sosebee told the local board as she reviewed schedules and preparations for the election. Nearly 300 poll workers have completed training, with more scheduled to complete training in the next few days, said elections assistant Lisa McGlaun.
For the first time, voters can choose a Spanish-language ballot on the voting machines, Sosebee said. “It’s all about removing the barrier, the language barrier that we face,” she said.
Early voting is scheduled to begin Tuesday Oct. 15 from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Lyndon House Arts Center on Hoyt Street, replacing the former main early voting site at the Board of Elections office downtown. The board made the decision to move the downtown early voting site because the Lyndon House has room for more machines, which should cut down on lines.
The sole 24-hour absentee ballot dropbox allowed by state law will also be stationed at the Lyndon House, and will be under constant video surveillance, Sosebee said. Voters can also bring completed absentee ballots to the downtown Board of Elections office during business hours.
Voters can cast ballots early at several other places the week before Election Day, including the Miriam Moore Community Center in East Athens, the Athens Regional Library, the Cooperative Extension building on Cleveland Road, and the ACC Tennis Center at Southeast Clarke Park. Early voting will also take place at the University of Georgia’s Tate Center Oct. 28–30. Hours vary; check accgov.com/advancevoting for a full schedule. Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 1.
During advance voting, voters may cast their ballots at any of the early voting sites, but on Election Day must go to their assigned polling place to vote.
Although the Elections Board isn’t coming after Athens-Clarke, there was one indication of possible trouble at Tuesday’s otherwise routine meeting of the ACC Board of Elections. The board met in closed session for about half an hour to discuss potential or pending litigation, though the exact nature was not disclosed.
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