Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that his office is increasing its presence in Savannah leading up to the December 1 municipal election runoff. After receiving multiple complaints regarding the conduct of elections in Savannah on November 3, the Secretary of State’s office is taking every precaution to ensure each voter has their ballot properly cast and counted on December 1.

“As Georgia’s chief elections official, I want to ensure every voter gets their opportunity to vote in a secure, accessible, and fair election on December 1,” said Kemp on Wednesday. “My office will have boots on the ground during early voting and on Election Day.”

Kemp explained that the office’s increased presence will allow investigators to deploy immediately to any location with alleged election code violations. Secretary of State Investigators will be monitoring early voting sites, as well as Election Day precincts and the tabulation process. By also adding more eyes to the process, Kemp notes that will ensure voters’ confidence in the process.

Kemp explained that the investigators from his office are P.O.S.T. Certified, law enforcement officers who regularly investigate election irregularities. Based on the numerous allegations his office received, Kemp launched an investigation into Savannah’s November 3 municipal election. The findings of that investigation, once completed, will be presented to the State Election Board, a nonpartisan body that oversees Georgia elections, for consideration of further prosecution.

“By deploying additional personnel to Savannah, my hope is that no additional cases will be added for Chatham County this election cycle.”

If any voter suspects wrongdoing at the polls during early voting or on Election Day, they can call the Secretary of State’s Stop Voter Fraud Hotline at (877) 725-9797 or fill out a complaint form on the Secretary of State’s Stop Voter Fraud Website: http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Elections/stop_voter_fraud.

Brian Kemp has been Secretary of State since January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting secure, accessible, and fair elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities, charities, and professional license holders.