Commission adopts elections board ordinance; work session moves to populate board before Jan. 1 deadline

The Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance (filed in the meeting materials as "Ordinance No. 2024-") that adds a Board of Elections and Registration to Cusseta–Chattahoochee County's charter in compliance with O.C.G.A. § 21-2-40.1.

The ordinance, included in the record, establishes a three-member board appointed by the county governing authority, outlines staggered terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and assigns the new board the powers of the former election superintendent and board of registrars. The text also provides procedural details for appointments, meetings, and an elections supervisor position to be hired by the county manager with candidate input from the board.

At a Nov. 25 work session, the county manager and clerk discussed recommended interim appointees and added three names to the Dec. 3 agenda for appointment: Nancy Hoard, Valerie Lassiter and Crystal Walker. A member of the public, Queen Spivey, asked about how board members had been chosen and whether voter rolls are purged; the county clerk and manager said staff handle daily maintenance of the voter list and that training would be available for appointees.

Why it matters: State law requires counties that lack a locally created board of elections by a statutory deadline to adopt one; the ordinance transfers election-administration duties into a standalone board and creates an administrative structure for hiring an elections supervisor.

What to watch: The board must be populated and begin operations before Jan. 1, 2025, under the ordinance's implementation timeline.