Recent reports have highlighted troubling issues with voter registration practices in several Georgia counties, raising concerns about the integrity of voter rolls and the adherence to legal requirements for maintaining accurate voter lists.

Cobb County: Inaction and Non-Compliance

Cobb County is under scrutiny for allegedly failing to make a “good faith effort” to maintain accurate voter rolls. According to critics, the county is accused of “making up their own rules and not following the law” regarding voter registration challenges. Evidence was submitted indicating 2,470 potentially ineligible registrations, including individuals registered to vote in other states like Chicago and Arizona. However, nearly all of these challenges were dismissed automatically, with only 100 cases being considered.

Bibb County: Rejecting Valid Challenges

Bibb County has also come under fire for rejecting legitimate challenges to voter registrations. Instances were noted where voters who had changed their mailing addresses and registered to vote in North Carolina and Florida were not appropriately flagged or removed. This has raised questions about the county’s compliance with regulations that require maintaining accurate and up-to-date voter information.

Gwinnett County: Mass Rejections Without Due Consideration

In Gwinnett County, officials have been accused of rejecting challenges en masse, even in cases where evidence suggested that voters had moved or were registered at non-existent addresses. This pattern of blanket rejections without thorough investigation has drawn criticism for potentially allowing ineligible voters to remain on the rolls.

Questionable Registrations: Demolished Buildings and Unusual Birth Dates

Further complicating the situation, evidence from several counties shows that some “voters” are registered at addresses that no longer exist, such as buildings that were demolished in 2021. Despite these clear discrepancies, new registrations continue to appear linked to these non-existent addresses, raising alarms about the oversight and verification processes.

In DeKalb County, specific challenges were ignored, including those involving 180 registered voters with birth years listed as 1900 and even one individual listed as being only 12 years old. The presence of such obviously incorrect registrations points to a systemic failure in the county’s ability to vet and validate voter information properly.

Widespread Discrepancies Across Georgia

A broader issue affecting the state is the revelation that 65 out of 159 counties in Georgia have more registered voters than the eligible voting population, with registration rates exceeding 100% in some areas—specifically 107%, 109%, 112%, and 113%. Such discrepancies are troubling as they indicate a severe lack of control over voter roll maintenance, which could undermine the credibility of the election process.

State Election Board Investigation

The State Election Board (SEB) has acknowledged these issues, voting unanimously to investigate the irregularities in DeKalb County. The SEB has invited the counties involved to address these concerns at an upcoming meeting on October 8, with the goal of holding accountable those responsible for maintaining accurate voter rolls before the next election.

The current state of voter registration in Georgia has raised significant concerns about election integrity. The upcoming SEB meeting will be a crucial step in addressing these issues and ensuring that voter rolls are accurate, lawful, and reflective of the eligible voting population.