Fulton County, Georgia, has come under intense scrutiny following startling revelations about the 2020 election. Attorney Ann Brumbaugh for the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections recently admitted that at least 315,000 votes were certified unlawfully during that election. This admission raises questions regarding the integrity of the electoral process in a county that has already gained a reputation for election irregularities.
In 2020, Joe Biden reportedly gained a narrow victory in Georgia by just 11,779 votes, while Fulton County heavily favored him with 380,212 votes compared to Donald Trump’s 137,247. The data suggests that a significant portion—60%—of the votes in Fulton County were not certified in accordance with state law.
This situation came to a head during a board meeting on December 9, when the issue of unsigned tabulator tapes was discussed. David Cross, an investigator with VoterGA, testified that his organization had filed a complaint regarding the lack of proper certification on vote tabulator tapes. Cross stated, “The county turned over 77 megabytes of records, every tabulator tape representing 315,000 votes.” Crucially, he noted that “Fulton County produced zero signed tabulator tapes in early voting,” which should have served as the sole legal verification of the reported vote totals.
In her testimony, Brumbaugh acknowledged the violation. “We do not dispute that the tapes were not signed. It was a violation of the rule,” she stated. This admission confirms concerns about the failure to follow established procedures during the election process.
The fallout from these revelations has been significant. The Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the records and ballots from the 2020 election still held by the Fulton County Superior Court. Tensions boiled over at a recent board meeting when Republican member Julie Adams questioned the whereabouts of the 2020 ballots. Chairwoman Sherri Allen reacted defensively, insisting that another member refrain from answering the question, further fueling distrust among the public regarding the handling of election materials.
The implications of these findings cannot be overstated. A prior investigation by Georgia’s Secretary of State office reportedly substantiated Cross’s claims. The investigation illuminated that thirty-six out of thirty-seven advanced voting precincts in Fulton County failed to sign their tabulation tapes, violating the state’s election law. Additionally, officials at several polling locations did not verify the essential “zero tapes,” which are critical for validating that voting machines started at zero votes for the day.
Election integrity hinges on the signing and certification of these tapes. Without this verification, there is a real risk of previous ballots being counted inappropriately. The concern echoes warnings from other states, where mishandling of voting machines led to unexpected counts, as seen recently in Montana.
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding Fulton County’s election practices and the recent admission that hundreds of thousands of votes were improperly certified raises serious questions about the electoral processes in place. With the Department of Justice actively seeking access to critical election materials, the situation remains fluid. The unfolding developments in Fulton County represent a pivotal moment in understanding the legitimacy of the 2020 election and the steps needed to safeguard future elections.
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