Fulton County Admits 315,000 Votes Lacked Proper Certification in 2020 Election

Fulton County officials admitted during a recent hearing that approximately 315,000 early votes from the 2020 election were counted despite lacking the necessary certification signatures from poll workers. This revelation came during a Dec. 9 hearing before the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) in response to a challenge filed by local election integrity activist David Cross.

The core issue revolves around the legality of the votes counted without proper documentation, raising questions about the integrity of the election process in Fulton County. Cross's challenge, initiated in March 2022, alleged that the county violated Georgia election laws by failing to ensure that poll workers signed off on critical vote tabulation tapes.

Ann Brumbaugh, an attorney for the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, acknowledged the violation during the hearing. "We don’t dispute that the tapes were not signed," she stated, emphasizing that the county has since implemented new leadership and enhanced training procedures to prevent such issues in the future. However, she did not provide specific details on how these changes would address the past violations.

Key Details

Investigation Findings

Background and Reactions

The Georgia Secretary of State's Office conducted an investigation into the matter and confirmed that Fulton County had indeed failed to comply with election record-keeping requirements. According to a summary of the investigation, 36 out of 37 advanced voting precincts in Fulton County did not sign the required tabulation tapes, which are essential for certifying the authenticity of reported vote totals.

Georgia law mandates that election officials print and sign three closing tapes at the end of each voting day, along with a "zero tape" to verify that voting machines started with zero votes. The absence of these signed tapes raises concerns about the potential for unauthorized votes to be counted, as highlighted by Cross during the hearing.

"These signed tapes are the sole legal certification that the reported totals are authentic," Cross told the SEB. He further noted that he obtained 77 megabytes of election records from Fulton County, which included 134 tabulator tapes representing the 315,000 votes in question, all of which lacked signatures.

Allegations of Irregularities

In addition to the unsigned tabulation tapes, Cross pointed out other irregularities, such as polling locations remaining open at unusually late hours and discrepancies in scanner serial numbers. He argued that these issues indicate significant lapses in the chain of custody and certification processes.

"These are not clerical errors. They are catastrophic breaks in chain of custody and certification," Cross stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He is now urging the SEB to impose sanctions on Fulton County, publicly acknowledge the violations, and decertify the county's 2020 advanced voting results.

Cross clarified that his request is not aimed at altering the election outcome but rather to ensure accountability and transparency in the electoral process.

Response from Officials

The Georgia Secretary of State's Office has not publicly addressed the specific allegations regarding the acceptance of the unsigned tabulator tapes. The lack of response raises further questions about the oversight of election procedures in the state.

As Fulton County navigates the fallout from this admission, it remains to be seen how state officials will respond to the calls for accountability and whether any changes will be implemented to prevent similar issues in future elections.

The implications of this situation extend beyond Fulton County, as it may influence public confidence in the electoral process across Georgia and potentially affect future elections.

In light of these developments, election integrity advocates continue to call for reforms to ensure that all votes are properly certified and that election laws are strictly enforced.

Supporters of the current election processes have not yet provided a response to the criticisms raised by Cross and others, leaving the debate open for further discussion and scrutiny.