ATLANTA – State Representatives David Knight (R-Griffin) and Karen Mathiak (R-Griffin), members of the Spalding County Legislative Delegation, applaud the State Election Board’s (SEB) recent decision to refer its investigation of the Spalding County Board of Elections (BOE) and its elections supervisor to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, where it will now be eligible for further action. Reps. Knight and Mathiak have been working since December to highlight election failures that occurred in Spalding County after the November elections, including calling on Attorney General Chris Carr to investigate the official conduct of the Spalding County BOE and elections supervisor at that time.
“Representative Mathiak and I held a press conference in December in which we exposed the gross mismanagement and unlawful events that took place in Spalding County on Election Day,” said Rep. Knight. “Since then, even more inefficiencies have been uncovered. At the time, three members of the Spalding County BOE knew of these issues, failed to address the problems and yet still gave the Spalding County elections supervisor a vote of confidence in December. After the Spalding County BOE failed to act, we were compelled to introduce local legislation during the 2021 legislative session to revise the board’s appointment process in hopes of getting to the root of this problem. We made these issues known last year, but we are still left to wonder what other violations may have occurred in Spalding County that are yet to be uncovered. We are committed to restoring confidence in our local elections and will leave no stone unturned to continue to reveal the truth.”
In December, Reps. Knight and Mathiak pushed for an investigation into the Spalding County BOE and its elections supervisor to evaluate the handling of the Nov. 3 election in accordance with Georgia law and election rules and regulations. During the 2021 legislative session, Reps. Knight and Mathiak championed local legislation, House Bill 769, to revise how the five members of the Spalding County BOE are chosen and appointed. Four new members have been appointed to the Spalding County BOE since Reps. Knight and Mathiak began their work to improve the board’s operations.
“There have been a number of breakdowns and failures amongst the Spalding County BOE,” said Rep. Mathiak. “The Spalding County BOE and its elections supervisor failed our voters in countless ways during the last election cycle. The integrity of the elections process in our community has been compromised, and our constituents deserve better. The known violations are astounding, and Rep. Knight and I have urged state leaders to investigate for several months. I am pleased to see that action is finally being taken, and we are moving one step closer in restoring faith in our democracy in Spalding County.”
The SEB held a hearing on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 to evaluate and determine a course of action following its investigation into the Spalding County BOE, including its handling of the November 2020 election cycle. The report detailed some of the numerous findings and complaints, which was stated is in excess of 320 counts, such as a lack of voting supplies and underprepared polling sites ahead of Election Day, as well as a failure to follow chain of custody requirements for paper ballots, incorrect ballot styles, lack of voter certificates and improper disposal of voter information. The report also highlighted that the Spalding County BOE, its elections supervisor and poll workers did not participate in numerous required training opportunities offered by the state, including training for emergency backup procedures. The hearing also included testimony from Spalding County residents who encountered inefficiencies during the November 2020 election cycle. As a result, a motion was made during the August 18 hearing to refer the investigation to the attorney general’s office due to the “sheer volume and number of mistakes and allegations made in this case,” as stated by a SEB member.
“I commend the State Election Board for conducting a thorough investigation into the numerous failures by the Spalding County Board of Elections last fall,” said Rep. Knight. “It has been deeply concerning to watch this investigation play out, leaving Spalding County residents to question their confidence in Georgia elections. I fully support the SEB’s decision to turnover this investigation to the attorney general’s office, and I hope that the results of the investigation will create trust in our elections process again. I am also looking forward to seeing the improvements made by our new elections board members, who I believe will be dedicated to turning its operations in the right direction.”
For more information on HB 769, please click here.
Representative David Knight represents the citizens of District 130, which includes portions of Henry, Lamar and Spalding counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and currently serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. He also serves on the Special Committee On Access to Quality Health Care and the Banks & Banking, Game, Fish & Parks, Higher Education, Rules, Small Business Development and Ways & Means committees.
Representative Karen Mathiak represents the citizens of District 73, which includes portions of Fayette, Henry and Spalding counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as Chairman of the State Planning & Community Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources, Health & Human Services, Higher Education, Insurance and Interstate Cooperation committees.
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