Expand / Collapse search
☰

Frustrated Clayton County voter says her right to vote is in jeopardy

By
Updated  June 4, 2020 12:32pm EDT
2020 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Clayton County voter experiences problems ahead of June 9th primary

The voter says an absentee ballot with her name had already been cast.

ATLANTA - It’s unclear whether this is a matter of human error, a data entry problem, or voter fraud, but while county and state officials try to determine what went wrong, Tocarro Combs-Davis is concerned she won’t be able to vote Tuesday.

For Combs-Davis, the problems started when she went online to verify her election status and polling location ahead of Tuesday's presidential primary in Georgia. She said her name didn't show up in the secretary of state's database, even though she registered to vote when she moved to Clayton County last July. She started with a call to Clayton County Voter Registration Office.

"When I called them, that's when they made me aware that not only was I not in the Clayton County system but that my gender and my mailing address was incorrect as well. It was very shocking and very surprising to find out my information had not been updated especially when I had done everything right," said the College Park resident.

She said Clayton County officials told her to touch base with Fulton County officials since that's where she was last registered to vote. That's when she received even more disturbing news.

"When I called them back, they told me that a vote had been cast for me. Somebody had taken an absentee ballot that I did not request and actually submitted a vote for me. They told me it was in the system as of 10 a.m. Tuesday," she said.

Combs-Davis said she's been active in voter registration drives for years, so she reached out to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office for help. The Georgia Deputy Secretary of State told FOX 5’s Portia Bruner the office takes issues like this very seriously and is investigating to determine what happened. Meantime, Ms. Combs-Davis is frustrated she can't cast a vote at her neighborhood polling station next Tuesday and hopes other voters will learn from her troubles.

"To have it happen to someone who is as active as I am--I actively vote, I register people to vote and participate and it is just very scary and I want people to go out and check your status," she said. "Just because you have your voter registration paper card in hand does not mean that you are able to exercise your right to vote."