Security? Check. Sample ballot? Check.
Richmond County Board of Elections is finalizing plans to conduct the local version of the nation’s biggest election in weeks leading up to Election Day Nov. 5. But the board held off Monday on taking action involving a dozen new statewide election rules.
Elections Director Travis Doss serves as president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, which urged the State Elections Board to hold off on more rule changes ahead of the presidential election.
Doss said Monday the rules have limited application locally and several are the target of litigation that may block their use. They’ll know more after the state elections board meets Sept. 20, he said. Wednesday, civil rights groups filed an amicus curae brief in a lawsuit challenging two of the rules.
Policing the polls
The local board focused on hiring police to work on Election Day and during the three weeks of early voting.
They supported Doss’ recommendation of using existing funds for police patrols of polling place areas on Election Day, to use a dedicated crime hotline number and to station a marshal or deputy at each of 43 polling places once the polls close at 7 p.m.
Doss said the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office could not spare 43 deputies to man each polling place throughout Election Day, while some community leaders said having armed police inside each voting site all day might intimidate voters.
A new expense also approved by the board was an estimated $24,000 to have deputy marshals at all four early voting sites during the three weeks of advance voting.
Key dates
With seven weeks till the election, Doss presented key dates to the board:
- Sept. 20 State Elections Board meets
- Sept. 21 Deadline to mail military and overseas citizen absentee ballots
- Oct. 7 Deadline to register to vote in General Election
- Oct. 15 Advance voting starts
Sample ballot
Doss presented a sample ballot to the five-member board, saying its six contenders for president were the most he’s seen.
Aside from the presidential race, the Richmond County ballot has seven contested races and one opportunity – District 5 on the Richmond County School Board, which has three contenders – for a runoff.
The ballot has three proposed constitutional amendments, on creating a statewide tax court, a statewide homestead exemption and increasing the exemption for personal property to $20,000. It also has the Richmond County School System’s new 1% sales tax for education.
The referendum permits the system to raise up to $500 million and borrow $222 million up-front to pay for any manner of school improvements without specifying any schools, purchases or projects.
