b. Stephanie Stinetorf

Plaintiffs next called Stephanie Stinetorf, a Muscogee County voter. Stinetorf has lived in Germany working as a Department of Defense civilian federal employee since 2020. Tr. 448:3–16. Prior to moving to Germany, she and her family lived in Muscogee County. Tr. 447:7–17. They had bought a house, got a driver’s licenses, registered cars and “fully settled” intending to make a life in Muscogee County. Tr. 447:7–17.

Once she and her family had relocated to Germany, Stinetorf changed her mailing address but properly continued to vote in Muscogee County because she had no other residency established in the United States at the time. Tr. 449:17–450:6. In the 2020 general election, Stinetorf voted by absentee ballot without incident. Tr. 450:10–451:14. In the runoff election, however, Stinetorf checked the status of her ballot and found that it was marked “challenged.” Tr 452:5–13. She reached out to election officials, and a couple of days later, on December 24, 2020, a Muscogee County official contacted her. Tr. 456:4–20. This official informed her that “Austin [sic] Russell” had filed a number of challenges to Muscogee County voters, including Stinetorf, but that upon review of her application and ballot, the Board overturned the challenge against her and submitted her ballot. Tr. 456:20–457:4, 468:4–13.

Discovering her ballot to have been challenged was “stressful and “overwhelming.” Tr. 453:1–8; 458:2–5 (testifying that her experience voting in the Senate runoff election as a challenged voter was “stressful, confusing, and little scary”). Stinetorf did not understand what she had done wrong and questioned whether she should be voting from overseas. Tr. 453:16–24. Stinetorf remains concerned about voting in future elections especially by absentee ballot. Tr. 458:10–21.

Defendants insinuated that Stinetorf’s ballot had not been challenged given an email received on December 23, 2023, asserting that her ballot was “received and accepted in [the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office] on 12/11/2020.” Doc. No. [304-2], 3.33 However, other emails received by Stinetorf from the Muscogee County Board of Elections between December 22, 2020 and December 24, 2020, indicate that Stinetorf’s ballot had indeed been challenged. Doc. No. [306-1], 2, (“I did speak with my Director and she was able to get the issue [of the challenged ballot] resolved for you[.]”), 3 (“The challenge [to] your[ ] voter registration[ has] been removed, and your ballots have been accepted.”). In the light of this documentation and Stinetorf’s general credibility, the Court finds that Stinetorf’s vote had indeed been challenged.

Stinetorf could not name any Defendant in this case besides True the Vote. Tr. 464:2–465:24. As far as she is aware, she had no direct contact with any representative from TTV. Tr. 465:13–18. She further disclaimed ever having been contacted by or directly communicating with Defendants Cooper, Johnson, Williams, Somerville, Engelbrecht, or Davis. Tr. 464:5–465:24.

The Court finds Stinetorf’s testimony to be credible. She testified with candor and in a manner consistent with the documentary evidence in this case. The Court thereby credits her testimony and will weigh her experience of being a challenged voter accordingly,