Habersham County’s top election official says a typographical error led to wrong information being reported to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Election Supervisor Laurel Ellison issued a press release Monday, the same day she says her office discovered the error. It reads:
“We learned today that an error was made in the reporting of the number of registered voters in the Mud Creek precinct during the May 22, 2018 General Primary Election. This typo, showing the incorrect number of registered voters, did not affect the vote count. The vote count was correct, and the percentage of voter turnout was also correct. This typographical error had no impact on the results of the election.”
In the press release Ellison did not include figures but did say the error “has been corrected on the Secretary of State’s Election Results website.” She later provided the figures on request.
There are 3,704 voters registered at the Mud Creek precinct, according to Ellison. Her office mistakenly reported that number as 276. Ellison explains that’s the total number of registered city voters in the Town of Alto Precinct which is within the Mud Creek Precinct.
Ellison says she was made aware of the typo after an article appeared on the McClatchey news website.
Misassigned voters
This is the second time since the primary that Ellison has had to correct mistakes made by the Habersham County Board of Elections and Registration Office. In June she mailed letters to local voters who were assigned to the wrong State House Districts.
District 28 Rep. Dan Gasaway claims that mistake may well have cost him his bid for re-election. He lost to challenger Chris Erwin by just 67 votes.
RELATED Amended lawsuit claims voters were assigned to wrong districts in four other counties
Gasaway filed a lawsuit seeking a new election. A hearing is set for Sept. 12 in Fulton County Superior Court.
(file photo)
This article has been updated to include previously unreleased voter registration figures and court hearing date
