AROUND TOWN: Cobb Dems Chair alleges former Rep. Matt Dollar committed voter fraud

Jacquelyn Bettadapur, chair of the Cobb Democratic Committee, has filed an official complaint with Cobb County elections alleging that former state Rep. Matt Dollar illegally voted at his old address.

Dollar, an east Cobb Republican, ushered a bill through the Gold Dome to hold a referendum on east Cobb cityhood during this year’s legislative session. He resigned from his seat on Feb. 1, the same day the bill passed the Georgia House, to take a job with the Technical System of Georgia.

Since resigning, Dollar has publicly campaigned in support of cityhood.

Bettadapur alleged that Dollar committed voter fraud by voting last week on the cityhood referendum, despite the fact that he no longer lives within the proposed city’s boundaries.

Dollar is registered to vote within the cityhood boundaries, at a condo off Parkaire Crossing, state records show. Cobb property records show Dollar sold the property in late February.

Dollar bought his new home, located outside the cityhood boundaries on Wood Thrush Way, in December 2021.

Dollar confirmed to the MDJ that he voted early last week at the East Cobb Government Center, and voted in the cityhood referendum.

Dollar said he requested his voter registration be changed “several weeks ago” when he visited the Department of Driver Services to have his driver's license reflect his new address, but that Cobb Elections didn’t process the request.

Dollar says he later called Cobb elections to report that his voter registration had not been updated, and was told that it was too late for them to process the request, and to vote using his old address.

“I tried to vote under my new address and Cobb wouldn't let me, they made me vote at the old one,” he said.

Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler, however, told the MDJ that she checked the records, and that Dollar didn’t go to the Department of Driver Services until last Thursday, the day after he voted.

Dollar did not return a second call from the MDJ seeking comment.

Per Eveler, it’s the voter’s responsibility to change their registration for the May 24 election by April 25.

Bettadapur’s complaint has been referred to the Secretary of State’s office for investigation, per Eveler.

“It's never exactly obvious,” Eveler said of election complaints. “You know, the election code is very convoluted. And so I wouldn't hazard a guess as to what would happen.”