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2,600 votes not counted in Floyd County, elections director asked to step down

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  November 17, 2020 12:24am EST
2020 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Ballots found uncounted in Floyd County

The Georgia Secretary of State's Office calls for the resignation of the head of the Floyd County elections after about 2,600 ballots went uncounted.

ATLANTA - The Georgia Secretary of State is asking for the executive director of the Floyd County Board of Elections, Robert Brady, to step down after 2,600 ballots were left uncounted prior to the county's initial certification. The error was discovered on Sunday during the third day of the state’s audit.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office said the county did not finish counting all the initial votes before the audit began and informed the state of the error Sunday when it came to light.

"Not an equipment issue, this was a person not doing their job properly," said Gabriel Sterling, the director of elections operation for the state during an online press conference. 

State officials said an entire memory card wasn’t unloaded. The card was apparently left in the machine.

SEE ALSO: Georgia counties begin by-hand presidential audit

The results should have been run by the election board before being certified, state officials said.

Sterling said the votes uncovered in Floyd County don't change the final outcome in Georgia, but they do change the percentages slightly-- only about an 800 vote gain for President Trump.

According to officials, the election in Floyd County was actually being run by a volunteer after the director contracted COVID-19 and another election official broke a hip, having to be hospitalized.

This is the second time the county has had issues. There also were issued during the last runoff election, state officials report. During that election, county officials didn’t properly install any of their poll pads.

Secretary of State’s Office updates audit

Gabriel Sterling, the director of election operations for the Georgia Secretary of State's Office gives an update on the progress of the on-going audit of November's election.

Sterling also said they are investigating two different instances in Fulton County. That includes the water leak at State Farm Arena when people were asked to leave as votes were being counted.

Election workers began the arduous task Friday morning of recounting every ballot cast in the presidential race by hand. 

The Secretary of State's Office has set a deadline of midnight Wednesday for counties to submit their audit results.