Forsyth County Opens Public Testing of Primary Election Equipment March 30

Mandi Smith, director of Forsyth County Voter Registrations & Elections, has scheduled Logic and Accuracy testing on all voting equipment for the May 19, 2026 General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election to begin Monday, March 30, at 1201 Sawnee Drive in Cumming. Under Georgia law, any resident who shows up is legally entitled to watch.

Logic and Accuracy testing, required by GA Election Code section 21-2-379.25, is the process by which election officials run pre-marked test ballots through each voting machine and compare the machine's tabulated output against a known expected count. A machine that miscounts or misreads ballot markings fails the test and cannot enter service until the error is corrected. The same statute mandates public access: representatives of political parties and bodies, news media, and any member of the public are permitted to observe.

Testing will run daily no earlier than 6:00 a.m. and no later than 10:00 p.m., but the county's official notice makes clear that sessions may not fill the full window each day. Before heading to 1201 Sawnee Drive, call (770) 781-2118, ext. 9, to confirm when testing is actually underway on a given day. Sessions will continue day to day, including weekends, until all equipment is cleared.

Observers have a direct accountability opportunity while on-site. Questions worth raising with staff: whether every machine's test results are being logged in writing, how the county documents a failed machine and what corrective steps follow, and whether cleared equipment is sealed before transport to precincts on Election Day. The county's notice does not specify whether advance registration is required, whether capacity limits apply, or whether any portion of the testing will be livestreamed, so those are also worth confirming when you call ahead.

If the May 19 primary produces results close enough to require a runoff, the General Primary Runoff would be held June 16, 2026. Separate L&A testing for any runoff begins May 27, 2026, and runs day to day until complete under the same public-observation rules.

The Forsyth County Voter Registrations & Elections Office is at 1201 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040, and can be reached at (770) 781-2118, ext. 9, or by fax at (770) 886-2825.