Cobb issues statement about social media chatter about election document shredding at Jim Miller Park

absentee ballot drop boxBallot drop at the South Cobb Government Center (photo by Larry Felton Johnson)

Cobb County distributed a statement about election document shredding at Jim Miller Park, which has been the subject of social media chatter.

The social media activity was generated by tweets from attorney Lin Wood who was involved in the failed court effort to get the Georgia’s election certification blocked.

Wood was in the news Thursday when his attempt to block certification of Georgia’s election results was dismissed by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg.

The statement from Cobb County regarding the shredding

The following is being distributed on behalf of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration.

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There has been significant social media chatter about some document shredding at the Jim R. Miller Park Event Center in Marietta, Georgia where our Elections Department had previously conducted the state-ordered re-tally of votes in the November 3rd election.

The shredding company routinely responds to the Elections Department following an election to help remove non-relevant materials that cannot be easily disposed of.  The company did work at the Jim R. Miller Event Center early on Friday, November 20th, and helped dispose of the following items:

  • Cobb County distributed the following statement about election document shredding at Jim Miller Park, which has been the subject of social media chatter:The following is being distributed on behalf of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration.Mailing labels (with voter info) that are incorrect or if we’ve printed too many
  • Copies of apps printed from OnBase if we are looking for something (the originals are filed in evidence)
  • Copies of outdated or changed procedures, policies, forms, notes, or form letters
  • Regular and third-party envelopes with voter info on them
  • Reports when we are finished doing ‘check off the list’ steps
  • Sticky notes and phone messages with voter phone #s or email addresses
  • White privacy envelopes after the election is certified.
  • Printouts of old emails when we have a more current response in the chain
  • Duplicates of faxed applications (when voters fax multiples copies of the same app all at the same time)
  • There were a tub or two of applications we had copied for the December election and labels that we put in the shredder when the elections were combined and moved to January 5th

“None of these items are relevant to the election or the re-tally,” said Elections Director Janine Eveler.  “Everything of consequence, including the ballots, absentee ballot applications with signatures, and anything else used in the count or re-tally remains on file.  After an out-of-context video was shared on social media we contacted state officials to reassure them this was a routine clean-up operation and they could inspect our stored materials if they wish.”

Elections workers remain at the Jim R. Miller Event Center to help prepare for the January 5th runoff.

The tweets from Lin Wood implying impropriety

Attorney Lin Wood issued the following tweets today:

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