Southeast Georgia prepares to possibly hand count ballots as early voting begins

KINGSLAND, Ga. — The window is open for Georgia voters to turn in ballots before general election day next month. But some southeast Georgia counties are still unsure about how all of those ballots will end up being counted.

At least seven lawsuits have been filed, challenging the Georgia State Elections Board’s rule requiring general election ballots to be counted by hand, which Action News Jax first told you passed last month. Some of those legal challenges are being heard this week. But southeast Georgia still has an election to manage.

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“It might be an adjustment, but I don’t think it’s anything anybody can’t handle,” Shannon Nettles, the supervisor of elections in Camden County, said. “We’ve upped the number of poll workers to make sure we have a safe and successful election.”

Some of the people who voted in Kingsland on Tuesday responded to the possibility of hand-counted ballots, saying they care more about votes being tabulated than how they’re counted.

“That was old school, and if it’s good enough for old school, it’s good enough for now,” Doug, who voted early at Camden County’s polling location, said. He asked Action News Jax not to share his last name.

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But some Georgia leaders aren’t as comfortable. One of the lawsuits against the hand-counted ballot rule set to be heard Tuesday was filed by the Cobb County Board of Elections. It argues the rule could “ultimately lead to errors or delays in voting.”

Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin made contact with every elections supervisor in our southeast Georgia counties. Here’s how they said the chance for hand-counted ballots is affecting ballots from early voting and plans to tabulate general ballots:

• Brantley County: General election ballots will be hand-counted on election night. There hasn’t been a decision on the tabulation of early ballots yet.
• Camden County: Early voting ballots will be machine counted daily and tabulated at 7:00 PM on Election Day. The hand count would be for election day ballots, as a count of the number of ballots in the ballot box at each precinct, which will be completed if required.
• Charlton County: Waiting on the outcome of the legal challenges to the hand-counted ballot rule to decide how early voting ballots will be counted.
• Glynn County: Tabulating of early voter ballots will be automated and completed on the morning of Election Day.
• Pierce County: Tabulation of early voter ballots will be automated.
• Ware County: Early votes will be counted via a scanner, unless the county is otherwise directed.

As for the ballot counting and tabulation process in Camden County, Nettles said, if hand counts are required, it’s a change the county will be ready to make.

“It’s a practice in a lot of different counties, so we’re not too concerned by it,” Nettles said.

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The county’s even getting people to volunteer their time toward helping with hand-counting ballots, if the state rule holds. Doug is one of them.

“As the turnout is showing to be like it is, I do think they might need some help if it comes to it. I would have nothing against counting or whatever they need me to do,” Doug said.

Early voting in Georgia runs through November 1. Camden County has one polling location open this week and two more opening next week. You can find where your polling place is by clicking the link here.

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