Irwin County board votes to certify Nov. 5 election; posts, audits and recount deadlines set
November 01, 2024 | Irwin County , Georgia
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The Irwin County Board of Elections & Registrations voted 3‑0 Friday to certify the county’s returns from the Nov. 5 general and special elections, moving the results into the state’s official records and setting a schedule of post‑election steps.
Supervisor Ethan Compton explained that the board would read the results for each contest and then hold the certification vote. Patricia Thurman moved to certify the returns; Vice‑Chair Charlene Hutchinson seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Upon certification, the board will sign the required certifying documents.
Compton asked the board to recognize the staff of the Ocilla Post Office for repeated deliveries that, he said, helped ensure timely handling of absentee ballots during Hurricane Helene and amid broader United States Postal Service sorting delays.
Compton reported that one civilian Absentee‑by‑Mail ballot requested on the final day was not returned by the deadline, and that three UOCAVA overseas ballots remained unreturned by the deadline. He presented the status of post‑certification tasks the office will complete after the meeting.
Those tasks include uploading an official and complete certified copy of results to the statewide reporting website, emailing the certification and results to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, and posting copies in the county office lobby and at the courthouse. Compton said all ballot images would be uploaded that night to the Secretary of State’s open‑records database for public inspection and as part of a statewide image audit; the board scheduled a manual review of images requiring further inspection for Nov. 15 at 10:00 a.m.
Compton reminded the board that Nov. 14 is the deadline for candidates to request a recount, and said a risk‑limiting audit (RLA) will begin Nov. 18 at 9:00 a.m. He said six volunteers supplied by the county Republican and Democratic parties will form teams to hand‑count batches selected by the Secretary of State. The Irwin County Commission District 3 contest meets the conditions for a full hand audit, though ballots from the Irwinville precinct will be excluded because that contest did not appear on those ballots.
Compton added that, at a classified date and time, he will hand‑deliver the official results and records in the county’s custody to a designated law‑enforcement member for transfer to the Georgia Archives. He also said the Dec. 5 deadline to send the final Reconciliation Report remains in place and that the office’s reconciliation report was ready that day with "zero discrepancies." Finally, he proposed holding a poll‑worker appreciation event between Dec. 11 and Dec. 19.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the certification of Nov. 5 results 3‑0 (motion: Patricia Thurman; second: Charlene Hutchinson). Earlier in the evening the board also approved meeting minutes 3‑0 (motion: Charlene Hutchinson; second: Patricia Thurman).
The board adjourned at 5:40 p.m.; the next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 4:00 p.m.
Supervisor Ethan Compton explained that the board would read the results for each contest and then hold the certification vote. Patricia Thurman moved to certify the returns; Vice‑Chair Charlene Hutchinson seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Upon certification, the board will sign the required certifying documents.
Compton asked the board to recognize the staff of the Ocilla Post Office for repeated deliveries that, he said, helped ensure timely handling of absentee ballots during Hurricane Helene and amid broader United States Postal Service sorting delays.
Compton reported that one civilian Absentee‑by‑Mail ballot requested on the final day was not returned by the deadline, and that three UOCAVA overseas ballots remained unreturned by the deadline. He presented the status of post‑certification tasks the office will complete after the meeting.
Those tasks include uploading an official and complete certified copy of results to the statewide reporting website, emailing the certification and results to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, and posting copies in the county office lobby and at the courthouse. Compton said all ballot images would be uploaded that night to the Secretary of State’s open‑records database for public inspection and as part of a statewide image audit; the board scheduled a manual review of images requiring further inspection for Nov. 15 at 10:00 a.m.
Compton reminded the board that Nov. 14 is the deadline for candidates to request a recount, and said a risk‑limiting audit (RLA) will begin Nov. 18 at 9:00 a.m. He said six volunteers supplied by the county Republican and Democratic parties will form teams to hand‑count batches selected by the Secretary of State. The Irwin County Commission District 3 contest meets the conditions for a full hand audit, though ballots from the Irwinville precinct will be excluded because that contest did not appear on those ballots.
Compton added that, at a classified date and time, he will hand‑deliver the official results and records in the county’s custody to a designated law‑enforcement member for transfer to the Georgia Archives. He also said the Dec. 5 deadline to send the final Reconciliation Report remains in place and that the office’s reconciliation report was ready that day with "zero discrepancies." Finally, he proposed holding a poll‑worker appreciation event between Dec. 11 and Dec. 19.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the certification of Nov. 5 results 3‑0 (motion: Patricia Thurman; second: Charlene Hutchinson). Earlier in the evening the board also approved meeting minutes 3‑0 (motion: Charlene Hutchinson; second: Patricia Thurman).
The board adjourned at 5:40 p.m.; the next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 4:00 p.m.
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