Fulton County officials Thursday reaffirmed their decision to hire a team to monitor election activities this year — despite a lack of approval from the State Election Board.
Last month the Fulton Board of Registration and Elections agreed to hire a team that includes Ryan Germany, former general counsel for the secretary of state’s office. The State Election Board called for such monitors in May after it reprimanded the county for double-scanning ballots during the recount of the 2020 presidential race.
The monitors will determine whether the county conducts election activities in a proper manner and report on their findings. The monitoring will cost the county $100,000.
The secretary of state’s office has already approved the use of Germany’s firm. But the State Election Board has not approved the plan amid disagreements about who should serve as monitors.
On Thursday, Fulton election board Chair Sherri Allen said state board members want to appoint the monitors themselves. But Allen said she has received nothing in writing.
A majority of Fulton board members said they were ready to move forward with their own monitoring plan. They said poll worker training that must be monitored begins next week.
“Monitoring starts before Election Day,” board member Aaron Johnson said. “We need to get moving.”
Board member Julie Adams opposed affirming the county’s plan. She questioned the need to reaffirm the vote and said the fact that the state board had not voted on it “speaks volumes.”
The Fulton board also heard a report from the Carter Center, one of the members of the monitoring team. The center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, has monitored about 130 elections in 40 countries, including the United States.
Rokey Suleman, a consultant for the center, told the board the Carter Center would be involved in monitoring all aspects of the election, including poll worker training, logic and accuracy testing of equipment, absentee ballot processing, and early and Election Day voting at all polling locations.
Suleman said the Carter Center is still working with Germany’s team to finalize the details of its participation.
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