The Hall County Board of Elections doubled down at its meeting Tuesday in opposition to a piece of legislation from the county commission that would change the way elections board members are selected.
This comes after the Hall County Commission first delivered the legislation to the local delegation in December 2021. If approved, it would require both the local Democratic and Republican parties to nominate seven people to serve on the board. The county commission would then choose two from each list. Commissioners would continue to appoint the chairman.
Currently, the two political parties name two people to the board and the commission appoints the chairman.
Board of Elections Chairman Tom Smiley presented a motion at Tuesday's meeting which would have allowed Smiley and Hall County Attorney Van Stephens to create an alternative amendment to the Board of Elections Enabling Legislation. However, the elections board did not support the measure, which failed in a two to two vote. Gala Sheats and Craig Lutz voted in opposition to the measure. Smiley and Ken Cochran supported the measure. Board member David Kennedy was absent from the meeting.
Lutz believed the creation of an alternative amendment would be a waste of time. Specifically, he said they should follow the path that they set out at their meeting in December. In that meeting, the elections board asked to retain an attorney to create a letter that would be presented to the local delegation opposing the county commission's amendment.
"It would make a lot more sense to me if we follow the order that we kind of set ourselves out in and allow the attorney to determine whether or not the objections that the county commission has are even relevant," Lutz said.
While the elections board already approved a measure asking to retain an attorney in December, Smiley said this legal stance was avoided following constructive negotiations with the county commission about concerns over the original proposed amendment. Smiley said many items the elections board opposed in the original amendment, such as the ability to remove a board of elections member at any time, for any reason, were handled in these negotiations.
Following the failed vote for an alternative amendment, Lutz instead presented a motion that would essentially renew the election board's original request to retain an attorney. The board approved the measure, which specifically asks the Hall County Commission to allow the board of elections to retain attorney Ken Jarrard to draft a letter that would be sent to the local delegation in response to the legislation the county commission has proposed.
Smiley said he has also written a letter to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr asking for him to voice his opinion on the amendment from the Hall County commission.
"We'll wait to hear from Mr. Van Stephens about Mr. Jarrard's reply," Smiley said.
