Athens Reporter

The Athens-Clarke County Elections Department has identified a clerical error that led to the unintended mailing of a second absentee ballot to about 725 registered voters. These individuals had previously requested an absentee ballot for the upcoming November 5, 2024 General Election.

The elections system in Georgia is designed to ensure that each voter can only cast one ballot, regardless of receiving multiple due to errors or other reasons. Charlotte Sosebee, ACCGov Elections Department Director, stated, "Our elections system is a secure process with multiple steps in place designed to ensure one vote per registered voter." She added that they are reaching out to affected voters via expedited mail, email, or phone to guide them on handling their ballots.

Absentee ballot requests for the November election were accepted from August 19 through October 25, 2024. The department began mailing these ballots on October 7. On October 9, an error occurred when retrieving data from the statewide Georgia Registered Voter Information System (GARViS). This mistake caused approximately 725 voters who were already listed in a prior report to receive a second absentee ballot inadvertently.

To address this issue and prevent similar occurrences in the future, the Elections Department is enhancing its regular election processes and has informed the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office about the error. The state office has expressed support for how Athens-Clarke County is managing the situation.

Voters can track their absentee ballot status via Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov. Those who do not receive their mailed absentee ballot may contact the Elections Department for assistance with obtaining another or canceling it to vote in person.

Voters receiving more than one absentee ballot should only use one and are advised against attempting multiple voting methods as it constitutes a felony crime. Extra ballots should be destroyed or returned blank to the Elections Department at 155 E. Washington Street but not mailed back with completed ballots.

For further information, residents can reach out to the Elections Department at 706-613-3150 or visit www.accgov.com/elections.