Stephens County Election Supervisor “Laser Focused” on 2024 Elections

Earlier this week, WNEG News and a large number of local residents were “tagged” in a social media post that levied accusations against the Stephens County Election Office. 

Posted by local political activist Rebbekah Bennett, the post was a copy of claims and documents posted to X, formerly referred to as Twitter, with statements alleging “massive violations to “process & procedures”” at the Stephens County Elections Office. Included in the post are what appear to be copies of documents filed with the state by the local election office following the November 2020 election. Bennett told WNEG news that the forms were obtained through Open Records requests through the state, and said she believes that the records show questionable matches in signatures and other inconsistencies indicating violations of voting laws during the 2020 election. 

WNEG News spoke with current Stephens County Election Supervisor Bruce Carslisle, who said he had been made aware of the posts and the accusations, but said neither he, nor anyone on his staff, were working in the Stephen County Elections Office in 2020, and were not aware of any issues that may have occurred at that time.

He added that local copies of records from the 2020 elections cycle would not be available, as the retention period for the documents, set by state law, had passed.

Carlisle stressed that the local election office is focused on the 2024 election cycle and in assuring the smooth and secure transition to a single-location county voting procedure, with all voting taking place at the Historic Courthouse.

He added that there had been no notification from the state elections office, during his tenure as Stephens County Election Supervisor, regarding formal inquiries into or accusations levied against the Stephens County election process in the 2020 elections.  

WNEG News has requested information from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office Election Division on any complaints or concerns filed regarding Stephens County Elections in 2020 or any elections in recent history, or any investigations initiated at the state level. WNEG News will update this story with any response received from the state elections office.