Ex-DeKalb County Commission candidate suing state and local officials over election

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A former candidate running to represent DeKalb County Commission District 3 is suing Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other officials over the election and is calling for a re-do.

Democrat Andrew Bell lost the Dec. 3 runoff election to Nicole Massiah with 24.01% of the vote.   

In the lawsuit, filed days after the runoff, Bell claimed that the county election officials changed the dates for early voting in the special election, which he said violated Georgia law and were made without properly notifying the public or his campaign.

Bell also claims that the county changed advance voting locations after he "had already made critical strategic decisions," and allowed a vehicle with a large sign for Massiah to stay near a polling place.

"The integrity of our elections is the cornerstone of democracy, and these actions have undermined voters’ trust in DeKalb County. I am committed to ensuring that every voice is heard, every vote is counted, and that the process remains fair for all," Bell said in a statement.

Bell also argued that the special election should have been held in April or May during the general primary instead of November, which he says left District 3 without representation on the Board of Commissioners.

The lawsuit names Raffensperger, DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections Chair Karli Swift, and each member of the state and county elections board as defendants.

Bell had previously run for the seat in 2022 but lost in the Democratic Primary to then-incumbent Larry Johnson 78-21.