Overview

The Recount Team is selected by the Election Superintendent to manually count ballots. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. rr. 183-1-15-.03(2). While ballots are counted by hand for Risk Limiting Audits, a manual recount is rare.[1] For this reason, it is unlikely that a (manual) Recount Team will be used in Recounts.

Election-Related Duties

The key duty of a Recount Team is to conduct a recount by hand. See Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. rr. 183-1-15-.03(2)(b), (c), (d).

Selection and Vacancy Information

• Appointed:

  • Partisan: In a partisan election, the recount team is composed of the Election Superintendent (or a designee), and one person selected by the Superintendent from a list provided by the county executive committee of each political party. If there is not an “organized county executive committee” for one of the political parties, an individual will be appointed by the state executive committee of that political party. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 183-1-15-.03(2)(c).
  • Nonpartisan: In a nonpartisan county election, the Recount Team is composed of the Election Superintendent (or a designee) and two individuals selected by the Superintendent from a list of voters from the county that is provided by the Chief Judge of the Superior Court. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 183-1-15-.03(2)(d). In a nonpartisan municipal election, the Recount Team is composed of the Election Superintendent (or a designee) and two individuals selected by the Superintendent from a list of voters from the municipality that is provided by the Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the county in which the municipality’s city hall is located. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 183-1-15-.03(2)(d). If the Chief Judge fails to designate a sufficient number of persons for the recount or to provide the list of names in a timely manner after the Election Superintendent has provided “reasonable notice and a deadline to the chief judge,” the Election Superintendent can select the persons to serve on the recount team. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 183-1-15-.03(2)(d).
  • Tiebreaking: The recount teams are to determine a voter’s intent by a majority vote. In the event of a tie vote, the Election Superintendent (or designee) breaks the tie. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 183-1-15-.03(2)(f).
  • Qualifications: Must be a United States citizen. O.C.G.A. § 21-2-78.

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  Footnotes