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Commission advances creation of county Board of Elections; appointments discussed at work session
Summary
Following a unanimous second-reading approval Nov. 12, the commission advanced an ordinance to add a three-member Board of Elections and Registration consistent with O.C.G.A. § 21-2-40.1(b); the Nov. 25 work session discussed three recommended appointees and timing ahead of the Jan. 1 implementation date.
The Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County voted on the second reading of an ordinance to amend the county charter and create a Board of Elections and Registration, in line with state law. The ordinance text in the meeting packet describes a three-member board appointed by the county governing authority, staggered terms, and responsibilities that include supervision of voter registration, absentee ballots and the conduct of primaries and elections in the county.
Key elements in the ordinance text (as included in the packet):
- Board composition: three members, each an elector and county resident, appointed by the Board of Commissioners; initial terms are staggered (one member initial term ending Dec. 31, 2026; two members ending Dec. 31, 2028), with subsequent four-year terms.
- Provisions for appointment: the county governing authority must file an affidavit with the clerk of superior court certifying appointees; executive committees of the two leading political parties may submit recommended appointees but the commission is not bound to those lists.
- Elections supervisor: the board will recommend one to three candidates to the county manager; the county manager will hire the elections supervisor, who will be a county employee and report to the county manager for administrative matters.
At the Nov. 25 work session, County Manager Thomas Weaver recommended appointing Nancy Hoard, Valerie Lassiter and Crystal Walker to the new board and said appointments must be in place by Jan. 1, 2025 to meet the state-directed timeline. Queen Spivey asked how members were selected and raised a question about purging deceased voters from registration rolls; Weaver said staff conducts regular maintenance of voter rolls and that the Board of Elections is distinct from poll-worker staffing.
Commissioners noted training would be required for appointees and that compensation for board members would need to be set by the commission. The ordinance requires filing with the Georgia Secretary of State and compliance with charter-amendment publication steps before it takes full effect.
What happens next: The ordinance adoption, as recorded, moves the county toward standing up the Board of Elections. Appointments and administrative details (compensation, office space, and the elections supervisor hire) remain to be finalized in follow-up meetings; those items were discussed at the Nov. 25 work session.
