Georgia election board divided over letters seeking federal help with voting systems

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Members of the Georgia State Election Board are divided over letters sent to federal officials seeking assistance with election issues — and whether the letters went beyond the board’s instructions.

The board voted 3-2 on Sept. 28 to direct Executive Director James Mills to seek federal assistance, including urging the secretary of state to update voting machines. Board Chair John Fervier voted against the resolution, saying he opposes federal government involvement in state elections.

Before an Oct. 1 board meeting, Mills sent board members copies of letters he had sent to the U.S. attorney general, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Fervier said. The letters, obtained by Atlanta News First, ask federal officials to prohibit noncompliant electronic tabulation and set a binding, six-month deadline for Georgia to adopt a system that complies with the Help America Vote Act and eliminates QR codes.

Fervier said the board did not review or authorize the letters before they were sent, and that they included issues not covered in the resolution.

“We don’t even know who wrote them at this point. I don’t believe the executive director wrote them,” Fervier said.

He said he disagreed with references in the letters to investigating QR codes, the secretary of state and potential criminal activity. “There’s a lot of things that are involved or mentioned in DOJ letters that had nothing in the resolution at all,” he said.

“I know that had I seen those prior, I would never have authorized them to go out,” Fervier said. “I know the majority of the board would not have authorized them to go out.”

Vice Chair Janelle King said she took the lack of response from other board members after Mills shared the letters as acceptance.

“When the letter went out, within the same hour, the letter was sent to us, and there was no response, so no one had any issues with it,” King said.

Asked by Atlanta News First reporter Alani Letang whether the letters went beyond the resolution, King said, “No, not at all. Not at all.”

King said she voted for the resolution to seek additional help addressing outdated voting systems and ballot secrecy. She said Mills followed the board’s instructions by sending the letters.

“The letters were being sent based on the instructions in the resolution. He was doing his job,” King said.

King said she did not expect QR codes to be removed, adding, “That is another issue.”

The dispute comes a week before early voting begins Oct. 13. Fervier questioned the timing, noting the machines have been in use since 2019 or 2020.

“Why are we just now bringing up this issue a week before voting’s to start?” he said. “What’s the motivation behind these things, and what do they hope to prove by it?”

King said she supports using available avenues to protect voting rights and ensure elections are transparent. She and Fervier both said Georgia is responsible for administering its elections, but they differed on the federal government’s role.

Fervier said the federal government should not interfere. King said federal funding already gives the government a role, and she supports federal officials holding the state accountable to federal guidelines.

Fervier said the recent actions could cause confusion among voters but urged them to remain confident in the election process.

“Your vote is secure. Your vote is safe, and [it] will be counted in the state of Georgia,” he said. “Everybody deserves the right to vote and needs to get out and vote.”

Fervier said board members have discussed what to do next. Some have called for the letters to be rescinded, he said, which would require a board meeting.

Atlanta News First has reached out to Mills and the Justice Department for comment.