DeKalb elections officials delay certifying May 24 results due to technical issues

DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections (DeKalb BRE) has voted to delay certifying the May 24 General Primary Election after a series of technical issues were confirmed in recent days.

Since the election on May 24, DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) has coordinated with the Georgia Secretary of State to identify the cause of identified technical issues and determine a course of action to accurately tally votes and produce results specifically for the Commissioner District 2 race.

During a DeKalb BRE Special Called Meeting on May 31, board members voted to postpone certifying the election results.

Following the posting of the unofficial and incomplete election results, a review of registered data indicated issues with the District 2 Democratic primary related to the late withdrawal of one candidate from that race and a redistricting error that affected multiple precincts in District 2. Despite hand-counting efforts that took place over the Memorial Day weekend, DeKalb VRE officials announced they could not complete the tabulations ahead of the state’s certification deadline.

“Both the VRE staff and the Board are committed to getting these election results right, which is what DeKalb voters expect of us,” said Board Chair Dele Lowman Smith. “We believe that taking the extra time to review and audit the results is imperative to maintaining the public’s confidence in elections, and we are eager to work with our partners at the Secretary of State to prevent these types of issues from reoccurring in the future.”

DeKalb VRE and DeKalb BRE will file an official notice with the Secretary of State and State Elections Board to request an extension to verify District 2 election results and to certify the election at a later date.

DeKalb BRE approved a subsequent meeting to vote on certifying the election results on Friday, June 3, at 5 p.m.