Recertified Cobb election results change outcome in Kennesaw race

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration recertified general election results on Friday to include data from a memory card that was not uploaded earlier in the week.

In a 2-1 vote (with two members absent), the board included accepting 789 additional votes from the memory card.

The board voted Tuesday to certify elections results from Nov. 8. But the latest error involving Cobb Elections during the general election cycle changed the outcome of a Kennesaw City Council election.

Madelyn Orochena, who had been initially been certified as the winner of that race, instead finished 31 votes behind Lynette Burnett in a special election.

At the start of Friday’s special-called meeting, Orochena said that “due to gross incompetence, lack of transparency and communication, I am left with no choice but to doubt this election.”

Later, she said, “apologies, however sincere, are not good enough.”

A special recount has been called for Sunday in that race since the final vote margin is within the 0.5 percent threshold allowed under Georgia law.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is expected to certify all county election results on Monday.

No other races were affected by the additional votes from the previously uncounted memory card, Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said.

Elections board chairwoman Tori Silas said the board was told on Wednesday about the issue with the uncounted memory card. The error was detected when elections officials were preparing an audit.

Cobb Elections failed to mail out around 1,000 requested absentee ballots days before the Nov. 8 general election, and a Cobb Superior Court judge issued a consent decree to extend the deadline for returning them to this past Monday.

Eveler called that a “human error,” and it’s unclear how many of those voters weren’t able to get their ballots returned in time.

During early voting, some voters in East Cobb were mistakenly assigned to Post 4 in a Cobb Board of Education election when they in fact live in Post 5.

A total of 112 incorrect votes were cast, but Post 4 incumbent David Chastain comfortably won re-election.

Eveler has cited high turnover on her senior staff for some of the errors, as well as expanded early voting dates and locations.

Six days of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff begin on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 12 locations in the county.

Cobb Elections could add Saturday voting after a judge’s ruling on Friday.

The runoff will be decided on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with voters going to their normal precincts to choose between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.

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