Over 1,100 Georgia voters receive duplicate absentee ballots for midterm election, officials say

Elections officials in Athens-Clarke County say that more than 1,000 registered voters will accidentally receive a second absentee ballot for November's midterm election.

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Elections Department says an error in a mailing list allowed a second ballot to be mailed to 1,154 voters. The agency learned about the error on Oct. 7, two days after the first group of ballots was mailed out, after receiving some concerns from voters.

An investigation later determined that a mailing list that had been provided to a state-authorized printer included duplicated addresses that were on an earlier list.

Officials say that each absentee ballot is tied to a specific voter, meaning that even in the case of a duplication problem, voters can only cast one ballot for each election.

"We understand that receiving two absentee ballots can be concerning to voters," said ACCGov Elections Department Director Pam Long. "We want our community to know that we identified the issue, are tracking the affected ballots, and have procedures in place to ensure that each eligible voter has only one ballot accepted. We remain committed to transparency and to maintaining the accuracy, security, and integrity of our elections." 

The department is sending notices to any voters affected by the error and is implementing new measures to ensure that each voter casts only one ballot.

Authorities are asking anyone who received a second absentee ballot to shred the extra ballot or return it to the Elections Department on E. Washington Street.

"Extra absentee ballots should not be mailed back separately, placed in the trash or recycling intact, given to another voter, or included in the same envelope with a completed ballot to cast," the agency said.

You can learn more about how to apply to vote by mail and see how to check the status of your absentee ballot here.