November 19, 2008
CUMMING - Local records are being set once again for turnout in the December runoff election. Unfortunately, one record is the number of absentee ballots being rejected.
Forsyth County Voter Registrar Gary Smith said they received more than 500 unsigned absentee ballots on Tuesday that would have to be rejected. That's about two-thirds of the total absentee ballots received thus far.
"We are printing 2,000 rejection letters to be prepared for the additional expected requests," he said. "We have added four more people to handle these requests and will probably need another four for mailing of the letters."
Smith said Forsyth is not unique in this problem.
"Cobb had more than 2,000," he said. "Gwinnett has had thousands rejected. It's across the entire state."
Smith said there was no such problem in the General Election.
A mailer was sent out across the state that asked for a signature at the bottom of the absentee voter card below the space designated for a ballot address if different than the one written above. Smith said people must have missed the signature.
"There are really going to be some very upset people," he said.
Nearly 70 percent of Forsyth County voters turned out for the General Election. Smith said the numbers have been similar thus far for the December runoff with a record 663 voting on the second day of Early Voting.
Forsyth County's Early Voting for the Dec. 2 General Election Runoff began at the county administration building in downtown Cumming on Monday and will continue until Nov. 26. On Nov. 24, four additional voting sites will be available for voters to take part in Advance Voting.
These four additional sites are the Forsyth County Public Safety Complex, Midway Park, Cumming Public Library and Sharon Forks Public Library.
On Dec. 2, all Forsyth County precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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