Midtown Residents Report Inaccurate Voter Cards

Many Atlantans have received their voter registration cards in preparation for the upcoming July 31 primary election, but some have been told they’re in the wrong state house district.

Reports of voter card inaccuracies surfaced last week when about a dozen supporters of Ken Britt, who is running for the vacated district 56 seat, called Britt’s campaign and said they had been told they were part of districts 55 or 57, instead of 56.

Britt’s opponent is “Able” Mable Thomas and lives in the English Avenue neighborhood, an area incorporated into the district last year. Thomas said she heard about the incorrect voter cards on the news and called it a form of voter suppression. “We need to make sure the issue is resolved,” she said. 

Upon hearing of the complaints, Britt wrote an email letter to Samuel Westmoreland, Fulton County Election Supervisor, detailing what he had heard from voters. Repeated messages left by Patch with Westmoreland’s office to gain a comment have not been returned.

The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections is aware of the voter card irregularities, Britt said.

“I understand how this could happen, however we need a fair and open election and we don’t need people getting confused at the polls of voting in districts where they don’t reside,” he said.

There have been other instances of voters being told erroneously that they lived in district 56, according to the Britt campaign.

It is remains unclear whether or not other districts have experienced similar irregularities.

Since the district seat will be decided by the primary election, both candidates have stressed the importance of every vote. “[These issues] could easily impact the outcome of the election in a primary like this,” said Britt, “I’m optimistic we’ll have an above board election.”