State Board of Elections complete investigation into seven violations at Stephens County Elections Office
Continuing our coverage from last week, the State Board of Elections released its findings regarding seven complaints involving the Stephens County Elections Office.
According to information obtained by WNEG from the State Board of Elections under the Open Records Act, between November 2020 and January 2021, the Georgia Office of the Secretary of State Investigations Division received multiple complaints regarding the administration of election duties by the Stephens County Elections Office.
The allegations are as follows:
- Stephens County Chief Registrar Eureka Gober self-reported that her office had yet to enter all 2020 General Election early voter data into Election Net.
- Stephens County Elections Office did not process two applications for absentee ballots for the 2020 Primary and General Elections.
- A Stephens County voter did not receive credit for voting during the 2020 General Election.
- Stephens County Elections Office failed to register three voters in a timely manner, which resulted in one voter not being able to cast a ballot in the 2020 General Election.
- Stephens County elections staff violated ballot handling, collection, and transportation codes.
- Stephens County Elections Office did not report the accurate number of mail/electronic absentee ballots to the Georgia GOP during the 2020 General Runoff Election.
- Stephens County Elections Office failed to respond to open record requests in a timely manner.
According to the investigative findings there was insufficient evidence to prove a Georgia Election Code violation occurred for Allegation number 3 and 6; however, allegations 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 all provided sufficient evidence to prove a violation occurred.
Allegation 4 alleges that Stephens County Election Office failed to register three voters in a timely manner.
According to the investigative findings, Investigator M. Parrish met with multiple complainants on January 19, 2021, regarding the untimely processing of voter registrations.
According to Parrish, the Stephens County Election Office did not register a voter until a month after he completed his voter registration paperwork, which was not initiated until after the voter followed-up on the status of his registration. The election office also failed to register a second voter, which resulted in that voter not being able to vote during the 2020 General Election.
Parrish interviewed both former Stephens County Registrar Eureka Gober and former Stephens County Deputy Registrar April Roberts regarding the complaints.
Neither one could provide an explanation as to why the voter registration was not completed in a timely manner.
Following the investigation, it was determined that there was sufficient evidence to prove a Georgia Election Code Violation occurred.
Allegation 5 alleges that Stephens County elections staff violated ballot handling, collection, and transportation codes.
On January 1, 2021, Parrish met with the complainant regarding the handling and transportation of absentee ballots during the Stephens County 2020 election cycle.
The complainant told Parrish that on November 4, 2020, she observed an absentee ballot on the registration desk at the Stephens County Elections office. She asked Gober about the ballot, but Gober did not know why the ballot was on the desk and if it had been counted.
Gober then counted the ballot and included it in the final election numbers.
There was also concern about how the election office stored absentee ballots.
Additionally, by reviewing security camera footage, it was determined that Gober violated the dual carry requirement when transferring absentee ballots from the drop box to the election’s office.
Following the investigation, it was determined that there was sufficient evidence to prove a Georgia Election Code Violation occurred.
WNEG News will continue our coverage of the remaining violations later this week.