Mead v. Sheffield

I agree with the majority that the trial court’s order must be reversed. Howell v. Fears, 275 Ga. 627 (571 SE2d 392) (2002) and the other cases relied on by the dissent have been perpetuating a misunderstanding in the law stemming from unfortunate language used in Taggart v. Phillips, 242 Ga. 454, 455 (249 SE2d 245) (1978). Taggart was an election case in which the contestor challenged the outcome of the election based both on the casting of votes by unqualified, i.e., “illegal,” voters and on an irregularity in the ballot causedby misaligned voting machines. Taggart acknowledged those…