The State of Georgia is gearing up for an efficient vote-counting process as the Butts County Board of Elections and Voter Registration announces its plan for early processing and scanning of paper absentee ballots for the upcoming June 18 elections. According to a notice published on Butts County’s official website, the early ballot processing is set to commence on Election Day at 6:00 p.m., which is an hour before the polls close.
Outlined by the State Election Board Rule 183-1-14-0.9-.15 and pursuant to O.C.G.A 21-2-386(a)(3), the move to start tallying votes while the polls are still open is a controlled effort maintaining the secrecy of voters’ ballots. To prevent the premature disclosure of election results, the counting will take place at the County Elections and Voter Registration Office located at 625 West Third Street, Suite 5, Jackson, before the close of the polls on Election Day is waiting until 7:00 p.m. to be disclosed.
This early processing is intended to speed up the final vote tally and prepare for a timely declaration of the election outcomes. Election officials stress that all procedures are in place to keep the process secure and nonpartisan. Despite the ongoing debates about election integrity, county officials assure the public that they are strictly adhering to established protocols to maintain the confidentiality and accuracy of the election process.
