Out of more than 1,200 new voter registration forms processed since Aug. 1, an official with the Bulloch County voter registrar's office said approximately 10 percent were filled out incorrectly.
Shontay Jones, deputy registrar for Bulloch County, said she has received calls about rumors the voter registration department has thrown out the incomplete or inaccurate forms with no plans to inform the potenial voters of the errors.
She said the rumors are unfounded.
"It's our job to notify the voters," Jones daid. "We are contacting the people who have incomplete forms to make sure they are eligible to vote."
The registrar's office has a specific process in place to deal with incomplete or incorrect forms. She said her office goes to great lengths to make sure no one is disenfranchised.
"We just want to make sure the applicant enters everything on the form according to the rules," said Chief Registrar Al Beasley. "(We must) be fair to everyone."
The form verification process begins when a registration form is delivered to the office. Once opened, it is then classified according to the voting districts – city, county, state and federal – the applicant can vote in.
After the appropriate district is determined, the form is checked to ensure all the required information was properly filled out. If the form is missing information, was filled out in pencil, or more than one color ink was used, the form is mailed back to the applicant.
Before mailing the form back to the applicant, registrars make a copy of the form to show the person tried to register in good faith. These copies are kept on file in case the corrected form is resubmitted after the deadline to register, Oct. 9th, but before the election. This ensures the individual's eligiblity to vote in the Nov. 6 election.
Included in the request for a correctly completed application is a letter pointing out the imcomplete or incorrect portions of the form. If the form was filled out in pencil or multiple inks, a new one is enclosed for the applicant to file, Jones said.
If the registration form is complete and free of errors, the person is then entered into the voter registration system and their name will appear on the voter rolls in the district which they are eligible to vote.
Jones said she and her two part-time registrars are working non-stop to make sure everyone of the forms is processed quickly and according to guidelines.
"We want to make every effort to give people the opportunity to vote," said Jones.
Voter registration continues through Tuesday. Interested parties can pick up a registration form at the Bulloch County courthouse downtown.
Shontay Jones, deputy registrar for Bulloch County, said she has received calls about rumors the voter registration department has thrown out the incomplete or inaccurate forms with no plans to inform the potenial voters of the errors.
She said the rumors are unfounded.
"It's our job to notify the voters," Jones daid. "We are contacting the people who have incomplete forms to make sure they are eligible to vote."
The registrar's office has a specific process in place to deal with incomplete or incorrect forms. She said her office goes to great lengths to make sure no one is disenfranchised.
"We just want to make sure the applicant enters everything on the form according to the rules," said Chief Registrar Al Beasley. "(We must) be fair to everyone."
The form verification process begins when a registration form is delivered to the office. Once opened, it is then classified according to the voting districts – city, county, state and federal – the applicant can vote in.
After the appropriate district is determined, the form is checked to ensure all the required information was properly filled out. If the form is missing information, was filled out in pencil, or more than one color ink was used, the form is mailed back to the applicant.
Before mailing the form back to the applicant, registrars make a copy of the form to show the person tried to register in good faith. These copies are kept on file in case the corrected form is resubmitted after the deadline to register, Oct. 9th, but before the election. This ensures the individual's eligiblity to vote in the Nov. 6 election.
Included in the request for a correctly completed application is a letter pointing out the imcomplete or incorrect portions of the form. If the form was filled out in pencil or multiple inks, a new one is enclosed for the applicant to file, Jones said.
If the registration form is complete and free of errors, the person is then entered into the voter registration system and their name will appear on the voter rolls in the district which they are eligible to vote.
Jones said she and her two part-time registrars are working non-stop to make sure everyone of the forms is processed quickly and according to guidelines.
"We want to make every effort to give people the opportunity to vote," said Jones.
Voter registration continues through Tuesday. Interested parties can pick up a registration form at the Bulloch County courthouse downtown.