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Athens-Clarke commissioners keep local control of elections board after public input
Summary
The commission voted 8–2 on April 1 to approve a resolution preserving the county's current appointments process for the Clarke County Board of Elections, rejecting proposed House bills that would shift appointment authority. The vote followed more than an hour of public comment, largely in favor of keeping local control.
Athens-Clarke County commissioners on April 1 approved a resolution to maintain the county's present process for appointing members to the Clarke County Board of Elections, voting 8–2 during a special-called session.
The vote came after extensive public comment in a packed meeting room. Dozens of residents urged the commission to preserve local appointment authority and resist recently introduced state House bills — identified by speakers as HB 851 and HB 852 — that would give superior court judges a greater role in appointing local election board members.
Supporters said county election officials and the appointed board have handled recent elections professionally and that local control helps preserve voting access. “I’ve watched our election department staff, the paid employees, and the changing members of our board of election,” said Jacqueline Elsner, identified as a long-time local board observer. “They treat one another and the staff with great courtesy and respect. We just have a stellar situation on our hands.”
Opponents said the current appointments process can favor partisanship. Resident Larry Jordan told commissioners the county’s appointed board is imbalanced by party and warned against allowing elected officials to name election overseers: “Letting elected officials determine who sits on the board of elections is like the fox in the hen house,” Jordan said.
Commission discussion emphasized both the need for timely notice of legislative proposals and a defense of local control. Commissioner Link argued the change proposed in the House bills would amount to outside interference in local democratic control, and multiple commissioners said they learned about the measures only when they appeared in the press.
Roll call on the final motion (moved by Commissioner Link; seconded by Commissioner Taylor) returned the following recorded votes: Link — yes; Taylor — yes; Wright — yes; Fisher — yes; Johnson — yes; Culpepper — no; Myers — yes; Thornton — no; Hamby — yes; Davenport — yes. The clerk recorded the tally as 8 yes, 2 no. The resolution directs county leadership to communicate the county’s position to state legislators and to continue public engagement on any future proposals affecting local election administration.
Why it matters: The change would have shifted appointment authority away from locally elected officials and toward superior court judges; speakers and commissioners framed the vote as a defense of local oversight over election administration and of local input on access policies and language assistance.
