The Bryan County Board of Elections met last Thursday to discuss election procedures and related news, including a clerical error found at the start of the early voting period for the upcoming Nov. 7 election. 

On Oct. 16, Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill discovered a clerical error in the printed absentee ballots and electronic ballots displayed on voting machines concerning prospective candidates for Richmond Hill’s City Council Post #3 and Post #4. 

A total of 18 ballots submitted on Oct. 16 were found to be affected. Corrections were made promptly, and all ballots going forward are correct.

This error only affected the listing of prospective candidates for Richmond Hill’s City Council Post #3 and Post #4. Bryan County’s ballots relating to its referendum on SPLOST and Pembroke’s ballots relating to its election of Pembroke City Council Post and Mayor are unaffected. 

 Kathryn Downs, the Assistant County Administrator, released the following statement in conjunction with Bryan County and Richmond Hill officials. 

“Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill consider the integrity of its elections to be of paramount importance to the functioning of government and the exercise of citizens’ Constitutionally protected rights. To ensure the transparency and integrity of our elections, we bring to your attention the following discovery. Today, shortly after the opening of Bryan County’s early-voting period, Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill discovered a clerical error in the printed ballots and electronic ballots displayed on voting machines, concerning prospective candidates for Richmond Hill’s City Council Post #3 and Post #4. The effect of this error is very limited. The error has been corrected in accordance with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

All ballots going forward are correct.

“In coordination with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Bryan County and Richmond Hill are actively developing a suitable remedy for those voters whose ballots were affected by the error.

Fortunately, this error only affected the listing of prospective candidates for Richmond Hill’s City Council Post #3 and Post #4. Bryan County’s ballots relating to its referendum on SPLOST and Pembroke’s ballots relating to its election of Pembroke City Council Post and Mayor are not affected; ballots cast in these elections did not contain any error and the ballots of voters who have participated in these elections were cast properly. We appreciate your understanding as we take corrective measures to ensure all voters can properly cast their ballots.

“We encourage all Bryan County citizens to exercise their Constitutionally protected rights of voting and cast their ballot in the ongoing elections.”