Georgia House candidate fighting disqualification over voting record
SAVANNAH ― A Georgia House candidate claims an absentee ballot submitted in his name in a Nevada election was forged and should not disqualify him from next week’s midterms.
Democrat David Dillie has been under investigation by Georgia’s top election official, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, since records surfaced last month showing he cast 2026 primary votes in both Nevada and Georgia. On Thursday, Raffensperger filed a ballot removal challenge against Dillie with the Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings, the court that hears election challenges.
That hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Dillie said he intends to contest the disqualification attempt. He said in a telephone interview Monday the person who cast the mail-in ballot in his name has come forward and has signed an affidavit that he will present in his defense. The ballot was sent to the Las Vegas home of his godfather, where he lived for several years before moving to Georgia in 2024.
Under a Nevada law enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state sends absentee ballots to every registered voter.
“I remain positively optimistic that I will remain on the ballot,” Dillie said. “What this person did they shouldn’t have done. This is a disappointing situation.”
Should the administrative court rule against him Wednesday, Dillie said he would appeal to prevent his removal from the ballot.
Dillie is challenging seven-term Republican incumbent Rep. Bill Hitchens in Georgia House District 161, which spans several Savannah suburbs. The race is one Savannah-area Democrats view as a possible pickup opportunity given public outcry over tech giant OpenAI’s plans to build a massive data center in the district.
Dillie has denied voting in the Nevada election since his primary voting records were first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 24. The Secretary of State’s Office announced its investigation later that day.
That probe turned up evidence Dillie traveled to Nevada between June 6 and June 9 and voted in that state’s primary, according to the candidate challenge letter filed by Raffensperger’s office.
Dillie admits visiting Las Vegas during that span but said he was in town to attend the Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate National Leadership Conference. He is a student at Savannah Technical College, studying construction management and competed in an entrepreneurship pitch contest at the conference.
“They make it seem like I went for evil intentions when I was there to represent Georgia and bring home trophies,” Dillie said.
The election is Nov. 3. Early voting is ongoing, and as of Friday about 50,000 ballots had been cast in the two counties — Chatham and Effingham — spanned by District 161.
The deadline for candidates to be replaced on the ballot passed Saturday, meaning the incumbent, Hitchens, will automatically win if Dillie is disqualified.
It is also too late for Dillie’s name to be scrubbed from the ballot. Instead, signs would be hung in polling places in that district informing voters of Dillie’s ineligibility. Ballots cast for him would not be counted, according to the Chatham County elections supervisor.
Dillie questioned the timing of the challenge and suggested it was “dirty partisan politics” motivated by him being a threat to the GOP incumbent. Raffensperger is a Republican.
“The voters are asking why they would pull this so close to Election Day,” Dillie said. “Is it because I’ve been fighting against data centers and Flock cameras and other issues for a year and they’re worried I’ll win?”
Hitchens said he is “confident concerning the election” and said the timing of the challenge is likely a product of the time it takes to investigate two states’ records.