There have been many questions regarding the new law that changes the composition of the Cherokee County Board of Elections. I wanted to clarify some points and ease any confusion for our residents.
This legislative session, the local delegation took on the task of reforming the Cherokee County Board of Elections, created in
1991. Since then, laws have changed and several different state supreme court rulings have put the constitutionality of the board in question. As a result, a legal challenge was filed against the board in January.
After discussing with several attorneys and legislative staff, the consensus was the legal challenge had merit. With that in mind, I authored House Bills 644 and 642 to dissolve the board of elections and reform it. The bills were passed by both chambers of the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.
The former board had members appointed by private political parties in the county. Beginning July 1, board members will be appointed by a majority vote of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners (BOC).
The election board will have five members, with four members appointed by the BOC. The fifth member, the chairman, will be chosen by the other four members. The BOC does not choose or have to approve the chairman. A two-year term begins on July 1 on a rotating basis, with two of the seats being appointed each year.
Any registered voter in the county can now be appointed to the Board of Elections, including independents. The new law does not require a breakdown by party, which means any combination of Republican, Democrat, independent and other parties can make up the election board.
The Republican and Democrat parties each can nominate a slate of at least five people to the BOC. In addition, any registered voter interested in applying can contact their county commissioner. The commissioners can choose from the parties, those who applied or any registered voter in the county.
I encourage Cherokee residents to be involved in the election process and stay up to date on the happenings with the Board of Elections appointee process.
For more details, visit https://cherokeegavotes.com.
– Rep. Jordan Ridley represents Georgia House District 22. If you have any feedback, call 404-656-0254 or email jordan.ridley@house.ga.gov.
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