politics
Georgia State Election Board Members Denied Access to Vote Reporting Room
Members of the Georgia State Election Board were blocked from observing vote compilation in the state's primary election this week. State GOP Chairman Josh McKoon and board member Salleigh Grubbs called for access to the centralized reporting facility.
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Members of the Georgia State Election Board have been blocked from observing the compilation of vote totals in the state's primary election this week, according to state GOP Chairman Josh McKoon. McKoon demanded that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reverse the decision.
He described the denial of access to the Election Night Reporting Room as an unacceptable restriction on transparency. The secretary of state's secure, centralized Election Night Reporting Room is an underground facility on the east side of Atlanta where votes from Georgia's 159 counties are aggregated in real time.
A small team of staff monitors the process as final numbers roll in.
Grubbs, a sitting member of the State Election Board, posted that she was shocked to be told that the final tabulation of Georgia votes is done behind closed doors without transparency or independent observation. She urged Georgians to contact the secretary of state's office and demand observer access.
Holly Kesler, a grassroots elections integrity advocate, cited two Georgia statutes. A. A. § 21-2-30 charges the State Election Board with ensuring transparent elections.
In response to a request for comment, Raffensperger's Communications Director Robert Sinners stated that Secretary Raffensperger had nothing to do with this decision. He said no tabulation happens at the location being mentioned and suggested that board members focus on county tabulation centers.
James Mills, the executive director of the State Election Board, explained that the board asked questions of the attorney general's office and received private legal advice subject to attorney-client privilege. Grubbs has stated publicly that access remains at the discretion of the secretary of state.
Video from the April 15, 2026, State Election Board meeting shows that Chairman John Fervier has previously been invited into the facility while the rest of the board was not invited. In a recent email, Fervier informed board members that a request for access during the upcoming primary was denied.
