Pillars of the Community Hosts Georgia Kickoff with Gabriel Sterling, Nadine Williams, Joseph Kirk, and Mandi Smith

On August 12, Pillars of the Community held its Georgia Kickoff Meeting at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center. The event provided a forum for community leaders to hear from election officials about their preparations for the upcoming election. The discussions focused on the processes and safeguards in Georgia’s election system.

Attendees participated in a tour of the Election Hub and Operations Center, visiting key areas such as the “Election Day Poll Worker University” kiosk for poll worker training, early voting management and tech training areas, the call center, registration and data center, command center with 160 desks, and the tabulation area with public viewing spaces. They were also briefed on the operations of 35 early voting locations and the voter registration division, including four key sites at the hub.

• Gabriel Sterling (Chief Operating Officer, Georgia Secretary of State’s Office) highlighted the uniformity of Georgia’s election system, where all counties use the same voting technology to ensure consistency in vote casting and counting across the state.
• Nadine Williams (Fulton County Director of Registration and Elections) focused on the complexities of running elections in Georgia’s most populous county, discussing the logistical challenges unique to large-scale operations.
• Joseph Kirk (Bartow County Election Supervisor) explained how his team works year-round to ensure that voter rolls are accurate and up-to-date, emphasizing residency requirements and ongoing maintenance of voter lists.
• Mandi Smith (Director of Voter Registrations & Elections, Forsyth County) discussed the logistical challenges of running elections, such as securing voting equipment, hiring staff, and setting up polling stations.

Key Takeaways:

Community leaders and election officials engaged in a Q&A session about:

• How the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office utilizes GARVis (Georgia Registered Voter Information System) to keep voter rolls updated.
• The roles of both state and county officials in maintaining, testing, and operating voting machines.
• The safeguards in place to prevent voters from casting multiple ballots, ensuring the integrity of the election.

Next Steps:

Pillars of the Community will be organizing a follow-up “Ask Me Anything” town hall with election officials to further engage the community and promote transparency.

This event provided Georgia leaders with essential insights into the state’s election safeguards, empowering them to support election integrity and share their knowledge within their communities.