ATLANTA — U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, a Republican who represents portions of metro Atlanta and west Georgia, voted in the 2022 elections using a Troup County address. But property records and the congressman's website suggest that he sold that home well before the elections.
He ended up moving two counties away. The votes may have violated state law.
Spokesperson Brian Piper defended Ferguson's voting record, but ignored 11Alive's questions about the congressman's move to Pike County and when it occurred.
State law requires residents to change their address before voting. As of Tuesday, Ferguson is still registered to vote in Troup County, according to state voting records.
Piper blamed the issue on a "clerical error" and said the congressman was updating his records with the state.
“Congressman Ferguson, previous mayor of West Point and lifelong resident, was registered to vote in his hometown," Piper said in a statement. "When going to vote in the 2022 primary, an administrative error mistakenly showed his address being in Pine Mountain despite never having lived there. Congressman Ferguson resolved the issue, and proceeded to vote in Troup County for the primary, general, and run-off elections."
"Congressman Ferguson is currently in the process of transitioning his residency to his new home in Pike County," Piper added. "To mischaracterize a clerical error as a devious ploy to cast a vote in the county of his hometown is ridiculous and irresponsible.”
When did Ferguson sell his home, and when did he move away?
Troup County property records show that Ferguson sold his home on 4th Avenue in West Point, Georgia, on April 11 for $250,000.
It's unclear when Ferguson moved to Pike County. But by May 11, Ferguson's congressional website had been updated to show that he and his wife lived in The Rock, Georgia, — about 60 miles from his old home and still with Georgia's 3rd Congressional District, according to the Wayback Machine, a digital archive of internet websites.
Under state law, voters aren't allowed to cast ballots in their previous county if they moved more than 30 days before an election. If Ferguson moved this spring, the 2022 general and runoff elections would fall outside that 30-day window.
What's next?
The Georgia Secretary of State's Office hasn't opened an investigation into whether Ferguson voted illegally. Investigators have not received a complaint regarding the congressman, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's Office told 11Alive Tuesday afternoon.
It's unclear what punishment Ferguson might face. Under state law, voting by an unqualified elector or giving false information to poll officers is a felony.
Ferguson, who has held his seat in Congress since 2017, served as the Chief Deputy Whip for House Republicans the past several years. He lost a bid to become majority whip in January. The Georgia Republican also serves on the Committee on Ways and Means.
Ferguson was one of seven Georgia GOP congressman who signed a brief in support of an unsuccessful Texas lawsuit that sought to throw out the results of the 2020 presidential election. However, he didn't join other House Republicans in objecting to Jan. 6, 2021 election certification.
The Republican was also a strong supporter of changes made to Georgia election law in aftermath of the 2020 election.
Ferguson represents a solidly red district. He won re-election in November, handily defeating Democrat Val Almonord.
