More than 7,000 Fulton County voters have had their registrations challenged over addresses flagged ahead of the November midterm election, prompting the ACLU of Georgia to urge election officials to protect eligible voters.
Two Sandy Springs residents received letters challenging their voter eligibility and scheduling hearings for Election Day, Tuesday (November 3), according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Both residents live at Wayfern Apartments, a newly built complex that government records incorrectly identified as a gas station.
Fulton County Elections Chair Sherri Allen told FOX 5 Atlanta that the county received 55,000 voter challenges from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office in January.
The ACLU of Georgia reviewed 7,642 challenged voter registrations and found that more than 7,000 had been flagged because their home addresses were classified as nonresidential.
The organization urged the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections to remove the incorrect challenges from voters’ records, arguing that a building’s zoning or tax classification does not determine voter eligibility.
“To register in a county, a person simply needs to reside there. How their residence is zoned or taxed is irrelevant,” said Akiva Freidlin, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Georgia.
The review also identified 290 voters whose registrations were challenged on or after August 5, during the 90-day period before the election when the National Voter Registration Act restricts systematic voter roll removals.
The ACLU warned that the challenges could interfere with eligible voters’ rights.
When asked whether the situation could intimidate voters, Allen responded, “Yes, ma’am. I definitely can.”
Allen said the county is sending corrected letters and contacting affected voters by phone or email when possible. She reiterated that Fulton County did not initiate the challenges, saying the names came from the Secretary of State’s office.
County officials said the incorrect address classifications will not prevent eligible residents from voting. Voters who encounter problems can call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or check their registration on Georgia’s My Voter Page.
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