Dougherty Co. election workers express concerns following recent election

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The municipal election in Albany brought on unforeseen incidents, including an investigation from the Georgia Secretary of State Office after the county was accused of releasing results before the polls closed on Election Night.

Poll and election workers spoke out to the board of elections committee on events that happened on Election Day.

Board members also had a lot to say regarding different incidents of harassment and precinct polling results.

“I was a poll watcher and there was a person that came into the polling area, the voting area. Several times during the day, it would be anywhere from every two to every three hours and they just walked out they didn’t identify themselves to anyone, they didn’t speak with anyone. They walked out directly to the scanner, they wrote down the time and what the scanner stated on a piece of paper, and then they walked out,” Carol Donnavan, a poll watcher, said.

Elections Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said a candidate can only enter the precinct they vote at and then have to exit.

“No individual is allowed, even you as a poll watcher know that you, I’m sure, know that you do not watch the scanner. You watch the activity, so we appreciate you for bringing this to our attention, so definitely we’ll address it with our managers to ensure that we are following the law,” Nickerson said in response.

Some election workers said they felt racially harassed. Election workers said they were harassed while they were working and were encouraged by Dr. Price Corr, an election committee member, to speak about their experience on Election Day.

“The guy was taking pictures of us getting our food and he was saying little worlds and calling people. They was parking in front of the signs and they were saying little different stuff and I ignored it, but when he kept saying, ‘y’all getting paper for this,’ and I turned around, that’s when I come in and said, ‘we don’t get paid for anything, we are doing for the kids,’” Elenore Danielles, an election worker, said.

“Can we get away from this white skin, black skin thing? I don’t like that and I think all this is trying to do is divide us. And these people harassed, and I’ll be honest with you, when ten cars come up, blowing their horns and all that and they start cussing, these two little Black ladies who are standing up for a white woman, that’s not right. It wouldn’t be right if it was a car full of white people doing it to Black people. It’s not right and that’s what I want this board to hear,” Corr said in response.

The elections board committee ended the meeting by going into a closed session. But before they left, Nickerson said the results of the election will be mailed to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday.

Nickerson said she couldn’t speak further on the investigation since it is an ongoing legal matter.

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