Fulton County officials ordered a full recount of all contests in last week's municipal runoff after a poll worker allegedly scanned multiple ballots — including ballots belonging to family members who were not present at the precinct, according to county leaders and the Georgia Secretary of State's Office. 

Recount underway after irregularity discovered

Fulton County's Board of Registration and Elections voted to conduct a recount under O.C.G.A. 21-2-495(a) after the Dec. 2 incident raised concerns about the accuracy of several races in Atlanta, South Fulton, Roswell, East Point, and Sandy Springs. County officials say the recount is expected to finish today and will not incur additional cost because temporary employees were already on-site.

A poll manager first reported the irregularity after noticing a poll worker scanning two ballots. That worker was immediately escorted out by a police officer already stationed at the precinct, county leaders said.

County: Poll worker allegedly scanned her own ballot — and ballots for relatives

During a press briefing, Sherry Allen, Chair of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, said the worker had scanned her own ballot and subsequently scanned ballots belonging to family members who did not appear at Dobbs Elementary School, the precinct where the incident occurred.

"We caught it, and we were able to take immediate action," Allen said. "Our processes and procedures in Fulton County are working."

The county reported the incident on Dec. 2 to the Secretary of State's Office. Fulton County no longer employs the worker, officials said.

State and county investigators involved

Both Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the Fulton County Police Department have launched a joint investigation.

Georgia's top election official condemned the breach and said investigators have been deployed to Fulton County to gather evidence.

"Georgia's system is designed to catch this exact behavior, and we look forward to seeking prosecution of this poll worker to the fullest extent of the law," Raffensperger said.

He described the allegation as "a serious breach of the public trust."

Fulton County Police Chief said the case remains an active investigation and declined to provide further details.

County leaders say the system worked

Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts emphasized that while "there is no such thing as a perfect election," this incident shows the safeguards in place function as intended.

"Our elections are safe and secure," Pitts said. "The good news here is that our processes worked. This situation was caught and immediately addressed."

Officials also noted that the worker had previously served in elections, and the county is reviewing that history as part of its internal investigation.

Recount covers ballots in five municipalities

Roughly 60,000 ballots from the Dec. 2 runoff — including early voting, absentee, and Election Day ballots — are being re-scanned. Candidates and observers who attended the recount this morning told county officials they were glad Fulton opted for a full review of all contests, not just the races with discrepancies.

The recount will be completed today ahead of election certification.