During a December 9, 2025, hearing before the Georgia State Election Board, Fulton County officials acknowledged that approximately 315,000 early votes from the 2020 election were certified despite 134 tabulator tapes missing the legally required poll-worker and witness signatures.
County attorney Ann Brumbaugh stated that the county does not dispute the allegations regarding the blank signature blocks, which affected roughly 60% of all votes cast in the county during that cycle. While state law requires three signatures per tape to verify the accuracy and security of the machine counts, officials characterized the failure as an administrative lapse and a procedural error rather than evidence of fraudulent activity.
In response to the admission, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted that while the missing signatures constituted a violation of election rules, they represent a clerical error that does not invalidate the ballots themselves. He maintained that the 2020 results were verified through multiple audits and recounts, confirming the final tallies.
However, critics and election integrity advocates argue that the lack of signatures represents a fundamental break in the chain of custody, asserting that the votes should not have been certified without these security protocols being followed. Fulton County officials have since stated that they have updated their standard operating procedures and implemented more rigorous training for poll workers to ensure compliance with signature requirements in future elections.
This admission occurred alongside ongoing legal developments, including a late 2025 court order from a Fulton County Superior Court judge requiring the county to release additional 2020 election records and scanned ballot images to the State Election Board for further review.
County attorney Ann Brumbaugh stated that the county does not dispute the allegations regarding the blank signature blocks, which affected roughly 60% of all votes cast in the county during that cycle. While state law requires three signatures per tape to verify the accuracy and security of the machine counts, officials characterized the failure as an administrative lapse and a procedural error rather than evidence of fraudulent activity.
In response to the admission, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted that while the missing signatures constituted a violation of election rules, they represent a clerical error that does not invalidate the ballots themselves. He maintained that the 2020 results were verified through multiple audits and recounts, confirming the final tallies.
However, critics and election integrity advocates argue that the lack of signatures represents a fundamental break in the chain of custody, asserting that the votes should not have been certified without these security protocols being followed. Fulton County officials have since stated that they have updated their standard operating procedures and implemented more rigorous training for poll workers to ensure compliance with signature requirements in future elections.
This admission occurred alongside ongoing legal developments, including a late 2025 court order from a Fulton County Superior Court judge requiring the county to release additional 2020 election records and scanned ballot images to the State Election Board for further review.