Secretary of State's Presentation to State Election Board

8/9/2019 Secretary of State's Presentation to State Election Board

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/secretary-of-states-presentation-to-state-election-board 1/33

SEB 2014-14

The New Georgia Project



Voter Registration By Mail

!!licantco"!letes

!a!era!!lication

Mails or#eli$ers to

S%S orco&nty

registrar

'o&ntyregistrarenters all#ata in VR

Syste"

(ata )or new$oter goes to

((S )or$eri*cation o)i#entity an#citi+enshi!

!!licant isVER,,E( .y((S )or ,(

an#citi+enshi!!!licant is

/NVER,,E(

Voter isregistere#

'o&nty sen#sletter asing )or

"ore in)or"ation)or $eri*cation!!licant

s&!!liesnecessary

#oc&"entationto co&ntyregistrar

!!licant#oes notres!on#within 40

#ays or with!ro!er

$eri*cation

!!licant #ro!s)ro"

syste"

,) #ata "atcheseisting $oterin)o is &!#ate#

an# new

signat&reca!t&re#

PR%'ESS EN(S



Potential Violations o) 3aw an#State Election Boar# R&les

• orgery %'G 15-6-1

• Maing alse State"ents%'G 21-2-750

• alse Voter Registration%'G 21-2-751

• Pro$i#ing ra&#&lent,n)or"ation %'G 21-2-752



8hy This Matters

• Each )orge# VR !!lication is a)elony%'G 21-2-7519 ny !erson who nowingly gi$es

)alse in)or"ation when registering as an elector shall.e g&ilty o) a )elony an# &!on con$iction thereo)shall .e sentence# to i"!rison"ent )or not less thanone nor "ore than ten years or to !ay a *ne not to

ecee# :10000000 or .oth

• Each )orge# wai$er o) release toco!y VR is a )elony



Ti"eline )or ,n$estigation

• May 5, 20149 irst co"!laints are recei$e# in "i#-May 2014 )ro" B&tts'o&nty election o;cials that $oter registration can$assers were gi$ing

inacc&rate in)or"ation a.o&t !eo!le .eing re<&ire# to re-register to $oteMay 7, 20149 ,n$estigators )ro" S%S res!on#e# to B&tts 'o an# "eetwith election o;cials an# sheri=>s o;ce

• May 13, 20149 or"al ,n$estigation o!ene#

• June 3, 20149 'hris ?ar$ey s!oe with Re! Stacey .ra"s a.o&t the!roject @at her re<&estA to intro#&ceC the !roject

• June 6, 20149 )ter !reli"inary in$estigation S%S ,n$estigators "et withEec&ti$e (irector 3a&ren Groh-8argo o) New Georgia Project @NGPA an#their legal co&nsel to #isc&ss concerns with !ractices o) NGP NGP re!orte#sa)eg&ar#s in !lace to !re$ent a.&se s&ch as entering all new a!!lications

in a #ata.ase to !re$ent #o&.le #i!!ingC an#Dor "&lti!le registrations o)sa"e in#i$i#&als to accr&e "ore cre#it )or the worers

• July 14, 20149 NGP re!orte# they a#o!te# so"e i#eas )ro" S%S s&ch as.acgro&n# checs )or e"!loyees an# "ore e"!hasis on training an#<&ality control




•August 11, 20149 'hris ?ar$ey s!oe .y !hone withEec&ti$e (irector 3a&ren Groh-8argo to re<&est thatNGP #eli$ers co"!lete# $oter registration a!!lications tothe co&nties where they were gathere# or to the S%S

%;ce an# not #eli$er all to &lton 'o&nty as that taes&lton 'o&nty>s election o;ce &nnecessarily

•Mid-August 20149 Re!orts .egan arri$ing )ro" ?enry(eal. an# Gwinnett co&nties a.o&t s&s!icio&s $oterregistration a!!lications So"e )orgeries are con*r"e# .y

election o;cials in their re!orts to S%S an# a##itional)orgeries are #isco$ere# .y S%S ,n$estigation e!an#s an#"ore n&"ero&s an# "ore serio&s allegations .egin toe"erge




• August 22, 20149 NGP Eec&ti$e (irector sche#&le# a"eeting with 3in#a or# to #isc&ss to the !rogra" 'hris?ar$ey "et a secon# ti"e with Eec&ti$e (irector o) theNGP to share growing concerns a.o&t )alse in)or"ation

a!!earing on $oter registration a!!lications• August 20-September 5, 2014 Mare# increase in

re!orte# s&s!icio&s a!!lications

• September 5, 20149 'hris ?ar$ey noti*e# S%Seec&ti$e sta= o) increase in co"!laints an#

reco""en#e# s&.!oena• September 9, 20149 ,n$estigati$e s&.!oena !re!are#

an# iss&e# to NGP



!at is being "#rged$Georgia Voter Registration

!!lications

This is wherethe $oter signs

the oath

Sensiti$ei#entity

in)or"ation

8arning against)orgery an#

)alsein)or"ation



8arning gainst ra&#



!at is being "#rged$8ai$ers )or ee!ing an# co!ying

$oter registration in)or"ation

8ai$er allowingNGP to co!yan# ee! #ata

rea where weha$e i#enti*e#

F )orge#signat&res

,#entity o) !ersonwho o.taine#signat&re an#



'o&nties Re!orting 'o"!laints ro"New Georgia Project

May

7

Se!t10

Se!t10

Se!t10

Se!t 7

Se!t7

Se!t10

Se!t 10

&g25

&g 12

&g 21&g 20



S&s!icio&s VR !!lications

as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• B&tts 'o&nty

• Re!orte# May 7 2014 @irst re!ort)ro" any so&rceA – Peo!le gi$en inacc&rate in)or"ation

a.o&t .eing required to re-register inor#er to $ote




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• ?enry 'o&nty

• Re!orte# &g&st 12 2014 – S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications• 5 con*r"e# )orgeries

• 2 &nnown




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• (eal. 'o&nty

• irst Re!orte# &g&st 20 2014

•

##itional Re!ort Se!te".er 7 2014 – 4 S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications• F con*r"e# )orgeries

• F )orge# wai$ers allowing NGP to store!ersonal in)or"ation

• 1 &nnown a!!lication




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• Gwinnett 'o&nty

• irst Re!orte# &g&st 21 2014

•

##itional Re!ort Se!te".er 4 2014 – s&s!icio&s VR car#s

• F con*r"e# )orgeries

• 4 &nnown

• 1 con*r"e# legiti"ate




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• 'o.. 'o&nty

• Re!orte# &g&st 25 2014 – F S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications• 1 con*r"e# )orgery

• 2 con*r"e# legiti"ate




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• Bartow 'o&nty

• Re!orte# Se!te".er 7 2014 – %$er "onth-long #elay in ret&rning

co"!lete# Voter Registration!!lications

– alse in)or"ation gi$en to $oters )ro"

NGP a.o&t $oters .eing required to re-register in or#er to $ote with ,( 'ar#




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• M&scogee 'o&nty

• Re!orte# Se!te".er 7 2014 – 5 S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications

– F 'on*r"e# )orgeries

– F &nnown




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• 'oweta 'o&nty


!!lications

– 10 con*r"e# legiti"ate @all 10 )ro" thesa"e !erson who a#"itte# he was j&st

hel!ing his )rien#s woring in NGP gettheir n&".ersCA

– 7 &nnown




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• Terrell 'o&nty

• Re!orte# Se!te".er 10 2014 – F S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications

– F con*r"e# )orgeries




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• Too".s 'o&nty


!!lications

– F con*r"e# )orgeries on a!!lications

– F &nnown a!!lications




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• Tattnall 'o&nty

• Re!orte# Se!te".er 10 2014 – F S&s!icio&s Voter Registration

!!lications• 2 con*r"e# )orgeries

• 1 &nnown




as o) Se!te".er 15 2014

• E;ngha" 'o&nty


!!lications

– 1 con*r"e# $ali# a!!lication

– 7 &nnown



Preli"inary Totals

• 27 %#n&rmed '#rged VoterRegistration !!lications in se$enco&nties

• 25 Suspi(i#us .&t &ncon*r"e#Voter Registration !!lications inother co&nties

• 14 %#n&rmed )alid VoterRegistration !!lications @1 $oterregistere# 10 ti"esA

• F %#n&rmed '#rged wai$ers o)



/nnownsH

• The a!!lications that are“UNKNOWN” are co".inations o)9

• Non-eistent a##resses

• Non-i#enti*a.le na"es an#Dor.iogra!hical in)or"ation

• No contact "a#e with $oter to $eri)ya!!lication



*#+ is t!e "#rgery being d#ne$

• So"e $oters ha$e re!orte# .eing contacte# bytelephone an# .eing ase# <&estions a.o&tregistering to $ote .y "e".ers o) NGP

• So"e $oters ha$e a.sol&tely no i#ea how

a!!lications with their na"es @an# o)ten inacc&ratei#enti)ying or a##ress in)or"ationA ha$e .een

s&."itte#

• So"e &nnown a##ress lists are .eing &se# in the

*el# .y NGP• So"e "e".ers o) NGP ha$e a#"itte# to registering

)a"ily "e".ers an# )orging the a!!lications





8hy This Matters

• ,nacc&rate in)or"ation s&."itte# on aregistere# $oter can change the status ofthe voter’s registration and ability to

voteJ1 )orge# signat&re will re!lace the $oter>s o;cial signat&reon recor# an# will ca&se the $oter>s signat&re on ana.sentee .allot to .e rejecte# an# there.y#isen)ranchising the $oter

2 )orge# signat&re will re!lace the $oter>s o;cial signat&reon recor# an# will ca&se the $oter>s signat&re to .e rejecte#on !etitions the $oter "ay sign

F n inacc&rate a##ress can res&lt in $oting )or can#i#ates oriss&es in areas where the $oter #oes not resi#e



Potential Violations o) 3aw an#State Election Boar# R&les

• orgery %'G 15-6-1

• Maing alse State"ents%'G 21-2-750

• alse Voter Registration%'G 21-2-751

• Pro$i#ing ra&#&lent,n)or"ation %'G 21-2-752

#tential S. /ules )i#lati#ns



#tential S. /ules )i#lati#ns/egarding e+ e#rgia

r#e(t /egistrati#ns – 1F-1-502@5A@aA re<&ire"ent to in)or" a!!licant

that they can ret&rn their own registration

– 1F-1-502@[email protected] in)or" all registrants they are notregistere# &ntil the .oar# o) registrars a!!ro$es

a!!lication – 1F-1-502@5A@cA in)or" registrants that i) this is

their *rst registration they will nee# to !ro$i#e ,(

– 1F-1-502@5A@#A in)or" registrants o) the

a$aila.ility o) an online syste" to chec theirregistration stat&s

– 1F-1-502@5A@eA in)or" registrants o) their right tocast a !ro$isional .allot in so"e circ&"stances



S. Alleged /ules )i#lati#ns/egarding e+ e#rgia r#e(t

/egistrati#ns @cont#A

• 1F-1-502@KA@)A acce!ting an

&nseale# co"!lete# $oter registrationa!!lication witho&t signe#acnowle#ge"ent )ro" the registrant

• 1F-1-502@KA@gA co!ying a co"!lete#registration a!!lication witho&t thewritten !er"ission o) the a!!licant



8hat 8e See

• %&r !re$io&s interactions with NGP ha$e!ro#&ce# recor#s that show s!eci*cconnections .etween NGP "e".ers an#

s!eci*c )orge# #oc&"ents• 8e nee# to "ae these connections an#

i#enti)y other e$i#ence o) )ra&#

• 8e nee# to i#enti)y co&nties that "ight

ha$e &ni#enti*e# !ro.le"s• 8e nee# to i#enti)y in#i$i#&als who

!artici!ate# in this con#&ct



'oncl&sion an# Reco""en#ation

• s #e"onstrate# "&lti!le )elonies )ra&#san# $iolations o) SEB r&les ha$e .eenocc&rring on a n&"ero&s an# state-wi#e

.asis• NGP has in#icate# a willingness to wor with

&s to get &s the #oc&"ents we nee# an# hasre<&este# &ntil Se!te".er 25th to co"!ly

•, reco""en# that the .oar# iss&e a re$ise#s&.!oena with that #&e #ate an# that wecontin&e this in$estigation

Secretary of State's Presentation to State Election Board

Documents