DeKalb elections board votes to settle lawsuit, pay $82,500

DeKalb’s elections board voted Tuesday to settle a lawsuit accusing the county of illegally removing dozens of voters from its rolls.

The accusations in the suit — which was filed last February by the Georgia NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda — date back to 2018 and 2019.

The suit claimed that DeKalb violated the National Voting Rights Act by immediately “purging” more than 50 voters because their residency was challenged and a mailed notice was returned as undeliverable or not returned at all. It also took issue with the cancellation of seven voters who used the address of a mental health center in Decatur when they registered to vote.

Under the settlement, DeKalb would pay $82,500 to cover the plaintiffs’ attorneys fees and other expenses.

The agreement was approved 3-1-1, with board member Baoky Vu abstaining and colleague Anthony Lewis casting the lone “no” vote.

Lewis, a Republican appointee to the board, said he was uncomfortable settling the case outside of court because of lingering questions about how state and federal law should’ve been applied.

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