(16 Jun 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4330974
An independent monitor who spent months observing election workers in Georgia's most-populous county says processes were badly managed but he saw no evidence of fraud.
Notes written by Carter Jones and obtained by The Associated Press detail problems with ballot transfer and storage, as well as inefficient workflows and systemic poor management.
But in an exclusive interview with the AP on Wednesday, Jones noted that in the nearly 300 hours he spent at various locations in the county, he did not witness "any dishonesty, fraud or intentional malfeasance."
Jones' observations challenge many of the allegations of fraud and misconduct that have circulated since the election.
Fulton County includes most of Atlanta and reliably votes for Democrats in statewide and national elections.
With roughly 822,500 active voters, the county accounts for about 11% of the state's electorate. The county is about 46% white, 45% Black and about 8% people of Asian descent, according to U.S. Census data.
The county's primary last June was plagued by problems, including hourslong lines and absentee ballots that were requested but never received, and the State Election Board entered into a consent order with the county to make changes for the general election. Jones was appointed as an independent monitor to oversee compliance.
After losing Georgia by about 12,000 votes, then-President Donald Trump fixated on the state.
Making false claims of widespread voter fraud, he and his allies zoomed in on Fulton County, which has long had issues with its elections and has been a frequent punching bag for the GOP, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Jones said the election operations were characterized by systemic poor management and that there were also chain of custody problems and ballot bags that often weren't sealed.
While he realizes many of those problems contribute to some people's doubts about the security of the election, he said the fact that he was there and "neurotically took notes" during the many hours he spent observing should provide some comfort.
He also noted that while the process was messy, the county managed to get it right in the end.
"They got it over the goal line. They made their numbers add up," he said. "Yes, the vehicle was held together by duct tape and chewing gum, but it got over the goal line."
His observations and report are also meant to help the county going forward, but Jones did express some concerns about that. So far, he said, he hasn't seen any change.
"When you don't see change in a system this limping or broken or darn near it, it's very concerning for future elections," Jones added.
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