Ficklin: 53 Voters Did Not Vote in District 2 Runoff, Schlesinger Responds

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Former Macon-Bibb District 2 Commission candidate Henry Ficklin is explaining why he’s calling for another election after an investigation his legal team conducted has wrapped up.

The investigation shows dozens of voters were registered in the wrong district.

Ficklin sent a news release to 41NBC saying the completed investigation shows that at least 50 voters who live in the Overlook Gardens apartments were *not able to vote in the October 15th runoff election.

He lost to District 2 Commissioner-elect Larry Schlesinger by 26 votes.

District 2 and District 3, split the apartment complex, but all residents were told they lived in District 3.

The board of elections’ legal team acknowledged the issue, saying there was– in fact– an error,

but says necessary steps are being completed to assure residents, the election process was fair.

Ficklin’s legal team conducted phone interviews with apartment residents and also received an analysis of records from the Secretary of State’s office, the Macon-Bibb Board of Elections, and Kennesaw State’s Elections Center.

Ficklin says he can identify every voter who, because of a system error, wasn’t allowed to vote in the runoff election.

District 2 Commissioner-Elect Larry Schlesinger says he’s aware Ficklin is asking for a new election and says he strongly believes in “following the law in full transparency in this process.”

He prepared a written statement that addresses Ficklin’s investigation, saying while there may have been an issue, he’s “confused as to why another election in District 3 is *not also being proposed.”

All three parties are waiting for a judge’s decision to decide what steps will be taken next, A hearing on this investigation is scheduled for November 26.