State Election Office Responds To WNEG Open Records Request

Pursuant to open records requests filed by WNEG News with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Election Division and the Georgia State Board of Elections, WNEG News has received confirmation that no further cases are open or pending regarding Stephens County elections, election officials or election office actions regarding the 2020 elections or prior years. 

According to records on file with the Georgia State Board of Elections, complaints related to a total of 13 separate, independent alleged violations of Georgia Election Codes have been filed since 2014 that involve Stephens County, either as the complainant or the respondent. Of those 13 complaints, only two remain unadjudicated. The other 11 were either included in the cases referenced in the recent Consent Order reported on by WNEG News last week, or were dismissed by the state as having insufficient evidence to prove a Georgia Election Code violation occurred.

Both the two remaining complaints are listed as “open” cases with the State Election Board, and WNEG News was advised that an open case is a case that has either not yet been investigated, is currently being investigated, or has been investigated and the case is pending as the investigation results await presentation to the Board of Elections. 

Investigation details on open cases are withheld until the case is adjudicated and marked closed, WNEG News was advised. The case sheets that were provided to WNEG News regarding the only two open Elections Code Violation cases involving Stephens County do, however, provide limited information.

In the oldest of the two open cases, the complaint was filed in June of 2022 regarding the 2022 Primary Election in May in Stephens County, and the respondent is listed as Nora Waters, who was an interim election supervisor who served between February 28, 2022 when Election Supervisor April Roberts resigned, and April 2022, when Krista Terry was named Election Supervisor. The complainants are listed as Rebeckah Bennett and Krista Terry. Although no investigative details are available, the “Case Category” is “Improper Processing of Absentee Ballots By Election Officials” and the Case Description and Summary states “Stephens County Transfer Voters after Deadline.” No further details are available, and the investigation into the complaint is listed as still open and ongoing. 

The only other case that remain unadjudicated that involves Stephens County is a report filed by Stephens County Election Supervisor Bruce Carlisle in November of 2023 regarding illegal campaigning by a candidate during the 2023 Toccoa Municipal Election. According to the case sheet provided to WNEG News, the investigation into the report is complete, and results are awaiting presentation to the Georgia State Board of Elections.

According to statements made to WNEG News by Carlisle, the report was in relation to a candidate for Toccoa City Commission, Lenwood Cannon, who was observed to be campaigning during active voting in closer proximity to a polling location than allowed by State Elections Codes.

No other complaints or cases referencing Stephens County are on file with the Georgia State Board of Elections of Elections Office.