DeKalb Election Office Requesting Move

The DeKalb County Elections Office wants to move out of the DeKalb County Courthouse.

Administrator of Elections Dustin Estes said the request made due to the new courthouse security policies. Estes said the policies lockdown the courthouse and leave only a single point of entry.

“Anyone that would be coming into the building would have to go through security,” Estes said. “Just to be honest that is not only an inconvenience for our office but it is a major disruption. Especially looking at we are only a few weeks out of a November election.”

Estes said the policy would have a major impact on early voting as it could lead to a potential lawsuit for voter intimidation if the early voters had to go through security to vote. Estes said after conversations, the office decided to put in a request to be moved to the county complex building.

“We just don’t feel like it’s fair to the voters to have to come through security just to come to our office,” Estes said. “We feel like we should be treated like any other county office.”

Estes said he wished the office was already at the county complex. Estes said the move would provide benefits for voters.

“There is a lot more parking available at the complex and they are not having to fight for those parking spaces like they do here at the courthouse when folks are actually coming here for court,” Estes said. “So it’s more accessible in that regard.”

Estes said if approved to move he would expect the office to move in by late spring. The portion of the county complex the election office wants to use is unfinished. Estes said he believes the space would be workable once the space is finished.