A stunning admission surfaced during a December 9th hearing before the State Election Board: Fulton County officials conceded that over 315,000 ballots lacked the required signatures on poll tapes. This wasn’t a minor oversight, but a blatant disregard for Georgia election regulations, specifically designed to ensure accountability and transparency in the voting process.
The revelation stemmed from a complaint filed nearly three years prior, in March 2022, yet the issue remained unresolved until this recent hearing. But the missing signatures were only the beginning of a disturbing pattern. Investigators discovered the poll tapes themselves weren’t even generated from the original ballot scanners used at the precincts – a direct violation of established procedure.
Prior to this admission, Fulton County offered a different explanation. When asked for the poll tape records, officials claimed the tapes were printed on fragile, receipt-like paper that faded with handling. They stated many requests had been received, and over time, the tapes had become “almost completely faded,” offering only what little remained legible. They then directed requesters to the Secretary of State’s office, claiming the originals were held there.
However, this explanation quickly unraveled. A subsequent inquiry revealed the Secretary of State’s office did *not* possess the original tapes, clarifying that state law mandated they be deposited with the Superior Court. Fulton County’s attempt to deflect responsibility was exposed as a deliberate misdirection.
The county further compounded the issue by attempting to charge $10,000 for the requested records. Critics pointed out that, given the county’s claim of repeated requests and existing electronic copies, the documents should have been provided free of charge, as stipulated by open records laws.
The irregularities extended beyond missing signatures and questionable record-keeping. Instead of utilizing the 148 tabulators deployed at precincts, Fulton County consolidated the ballot counting process onto just 16 machines at a central warehouse. This directly contradicted Georgia rules requiring poll tapes to be printed from the *original* tabulators used to scan each ballot.
A detailed analysis of the tabulator serial numbers revealed a shocking anomaly: nine machines were attributed to more than ten closing tapes each, with some handling as many as sixteen. These weren’t the machines used during early voting; they were centralized at the English Street Warehouse, raising serious questions about the integrity of the count.
Adding to the concern, records indicated over 20,000 ballots lacked any documented connection to a specific tabulator. The closing tapes themselves showed inconsistencies, with the same serial number appearing on tapes with different voting locations, dates, and times – yet identical protective counters.
Fulton County attempted to justify the unsigned tapes by claiming a signing requirement didn’t exist at the time. This claim was demonstrably false. The relevant rule, Ga. Comp. R & Regs. 183-1-14-.02(15), was in effect for the November 2020 election, and updated in January 2020 to specifically address the Dominion Voting system.
The situation was further complicated by the presence of Dominion Voting staff, who were reportedly paid $2,000 per person per day to work at the English Street Warehouse during the same period. This occurred after a reported COVID-19 outbreak, raising questions about the necessity of their presence and the circumstances surrounding the election process.
The December 9th admission regarding the 315,000 ballots is not an isolated incident. It’s a symptom of a deeply flawed process, characterized by improper procedures, misleading statements, and a troubling lack of transparency. The use of a limited number of centralized tabulators, coupled with the questionable involvement of Dominion staff, paints a disturbing picture of an election process potentially compromised from the start.
