ATLANTA — Fulton County's Elections Board Chair, Cathy Woolard, has filed a complaint with Gov. Brian Kemp -- demanding an investigation into a recent State Election Board meeting.
Woolard, acting as a private citizen, cited the lack of public notice and insufficient member attendance as key reasons for her complaint.
Woolard's concerns stem from a State Election Board meeting held last Friday, which she and several advocates argue was conducted illegally. Woolard emphasized that the meeting lacked a proper quorum, with only two members physically present and a third member joining remotely.
"One person who was sitting there was the executive director. He does not constitute a quorum," Woolard stated.
In her letter to Gov. Kemp, Woolard pointed out that of the board's five members, only Republican Janelle King and one other member were present in person, while Janice Johnston joined remotely. Woolard insists that this configuration does not meet the requirements for a legal meeting.
"We're doing this because we were notified that if we had not had this meeting today, then all the work that was done on July 9, by Monday, everything would have died," King told reporters.
She claimed that the public had been notified but acknowledged that no information about the meeting was available on the election board's website, nor was there any official documentation. King shared a social media post approximately six hours before the meeting as the only form of public notice.
"We were just going to make sure that everybody knew we were in compliance and that we just wanted to close the meeting," King explained.
Woolard argues that the lack of proper notice and the insufficient quorum are significant issues that warrant the governor's intervention. She is calling for the removal of the board members involved in the meeting.
"At this point, the ball is really in his court. They'll make their determination about how they want to handle this," Woolard said.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in a press conference today, was asked about the meeting and the rules voted on. He described the situation as "a mess" but expressed his intention to focus on ensuring secure elections this year.
Gov. Kemp's office acknowledged receipt of Woolard's letter but declined to comment further.