New Georgia election audit targets voters registered at P.O. boxes and businesses

The examination will also flag single-family residences where more than 10 people are registered to vote, as well as voters 105 years old or older who might have died in recent years.

Few cases of fraud have been proved, and all voters must provide ID each election before casting a ballot. But Republican election cynics say inaccurate voter lists provide an opportunity for wrongdoers to steal someone’s identity, vote twice or vote in Georgia after they’ve moved away.

The audit will result in more up-to-date voter registration information — and perhaps fewer complaints from election skeptics.

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Credit: Miguel Martinez

“Accurate voter lists are important because they lead to well-run elections. They help with resource allocation, and they boost voter confidence,” said Georgia Elections Director Blake Evans.

Voter registrations won’t be canceled immediately when they’re identified in the audit.

Instead, the secretary of state’s office will forward its findings to county election offices, which will review them and notify voters. Those who verify their addresses will remain active voters; those who don’t respond could be canceled if they miss the next two general elections, according to state law.

Outdated voter registrations motivated conservative election critics to challenge hundreds of thousands of voters’ registrations in the 2020 election year and since then. County election boards have frequently rejected challenges to voter registrations except in cases where there’s abundant evidence that a voter isn’t eligible.

If the audit by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office is meant to appease skeptics, early reviews indicate it is unlikely to silence them.

“It’s way too late. He’s not going to convince the Georgia electorate that all is well with our elections,” said Helen Strahl, a conservative voter from Chatham County who has challenged the eligibility of hundreds of voters. “It’s better late than never, but it’s not enough.”

Strahl said election officials should more thoroughly investigate voters who have died, are serving felony prison sentences or are registered twice. Election officials routinely process death and prison records, but that government data can be slow and incomplete.

The secretary of state’s office said the audit isn’t a response to election doubters. Instead, Evans said it’s part of an ongoing effort to upgrade Georgia’s voter registration processes, along with routine checks of address changes based on U.S. Postal Service information and identification of voters who register in other states.

A previous citizenship audit last year found 20 non-U.S. citizens out of over 8 million registered voters. Election officials canceled their registrations and reported them to local district attorneys for potential prosecution.

On the local level, Fulton and Gwinnett counties are also reviewing voters incorrectly registered at nonresidential addresses.

Voters are required to register where they live to ensure they vote for the correct representatives. Business addresses can be listed as voters’ mailing addresses, but not as their primary residence.

The latest election audit will rely on data from the Department of Homeland Security’s Geospatial Management Office. It will use software called the Georgia Registration Review Application that was developed by IPC Global, which also runs the secretary of state’s election data hub website.

The results of the audit will be revealed when it’s completed by September.