Georgia man challenges eligibility of 13,600 voters

CUMMING, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man is challenging the eligibility of more than 13,000 registered voters in his county in the northern part of the state.

Frank Schneider filed the challenge on Tuesday with the Forsyth County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, which will consider it during their regularly scheduled Thursday evening meeting, news outlets reported.

Schneider said in an email to Mandi Smith, director of the county’s voter registration and elections department, that he compared Forsyth County’s voter rolls with the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address database and found that 13,609 have an address that’s different than the one listed on their voter registration.

Georgia empowers any voter in a county or municipality to challenge the qualifications of anyone else on the voter rolls. A sweeping election law passed last year specified that there is no limit on the number of people whose qualifications a single voter can challenge.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that this appears to be the largest single challenge since the law was passed.

The newspaper reported the challenged voters could be flagged for additional review if they try to vote in the state’s May 24 primary election.

Forsyth County, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Atlanta, is wealthy and mostly white. It has been growing quickly and while it has traditionally voted solidly Republican, Democrats have made some inroads in recent elections.