During the June 9 general primary in Georgia, many would-be absentee voters showed up to vote in person, which led to excessive delays as poll workers had to cancel the absentee ballots of these voters before allowing them to vote electronically. This process involved placing a phone call to a central office, which took as long as 10+ minutes per voter and diverted poll managers away from other pressing matters for 90+% of their time.
To address these delays, Fulton County piloted a new absentee ballot cancellation process. On Election Day, every Fulton polling location was staffed by an On-Site Deputy Registrar. When a voter who requested an absentee ballot arrived at a polling location intending to vote in person, a Deputy Registrar canceled the absentee ballot directly through the county election software. This new process drastically reduced wait times for voters.
As runoff elections approach, we will again assist Fulton County in the implementation of their Deputy Registrar program. We also hope to expand the program to other large counties in Georgia.
We need you to serve as a Deputy Registrar!
As an attorney, you carry strict ethical obligations and procedural training, which will help engender confidence in voters as you carry out this process. After receiving training, you will be sworn in as a Deputy Registrar tasked with efficiently managing the absentee ballot cancellation process at your assigned polling location.
To serve as a Deputy Registrar for the purpose of canceling absentee ballots at the polls, you must meet the following requirements:
*If you sat for the bar exam and your admission is pending, please let us know as a response to either the Georgia or out-of-state license question. Please send proof of having sat for the bar exam to voting@acluga.org.
**DO NOT drop out of being a poll worker to serve as a Deputy Registrar.