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Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County adopts charter amendment to create local Board of Elections and Registration
Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 12 to adopt a home‑rule ordinance creating a three‑member Board of Elections and Registration, aligning local structure with O.C.G.A. § 21‑2‑40.1 and establishing an elections supervisor position to be hired through the county manager.
Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 12 to adopt a home‑rule ordinance amending the county charter to create a three‑member Board of Elections and Registration.
The ordinance, adopted on second reading, implements O.C.G.A. § 21‑2‑40.1 and transfers duties previously performed by the probate court’s election superintendent and the local board of registrars to the newly created board beginning Jan. 1, 2025. It establishes appointment procedures, staggered initial terms, and the office of elections supervisor, who will administer primaries, elections and voter registration in the county.
Commissioner Jason Frost moved to approve the second reading; Commissioner Gerald Douglas seconded, and the vote was unanimous. The ordinance’s text included detailed provisions on composition, eligibility, terms of office, and procedures for appointing members and filling vacancies. It also authorizes the board to hire an elections supervisor and recommend other staff; the county manager will make final hiring decisions and employees will be county staff for pay and benefits.
County Manager Thomas Weaver noted that recent state action had changed the local process: “HB 581 did pass; the county is automatically enrolled, and unless you guys want to opt out, we don’t have to do anything,” Weaver said during the meeting, summarizing the implementation choice counties face under the new state law.
The ordinance requires that members be electors and residents of the county, and it calls for biennial organizational rules, public meetings in compliance with Georgia’s open meetings and records laws, and an annual election of a board chair. The county’s package of documents appended to the minutes includes the full ordinance language and an exhibit spelling out chapter text to be added to Article V of the county charter.
The commissioners added related items to coming agendas: a public hearing schedule was noted for SPLOST administrative steps, and the Nov. 25 work session identified three nominees to serve on the new elections board to be considered at the Dec. 3 meeting.
The ordinance will be filed and effective as provided in the home‑rule adoption procedures listed in the doc and by state law; county officials said they will follow the established filing and publication steps.
