Alexander Ashcraft
In 1993, the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration was established to oversee and conduct electoral processes in the county. The Board consists of five members: one appointed by local Democrats, one appointed by local Republicans, and three appointed by the Athens-Clarke County Commission. The three members appointed by the Commission are nonpartisan, although the Commission notably consists of mostly left-leaning individuals.
In a bill that has since been tabled, Rep. Houston Gaines, with the aid of Rep. Marcus Wiedower and Rep. Trey Rhodes, all Republicans in the Georgia House of Representatives, the process by which the Board of Elections would be abolished was outlined. This bill was House Bill 851. Another bill introduced by the same three Representatives, House Bill 852, would have picked up where 851 left off and would have reestablished the Board of Elections, again with a makeup of five members: the only difference, however, would be how those members are appointed.
House Bill 852 states that “three members shall be appointed by the governing authority of Athens-Clarke County from lists of nominees compiled by each judge of the [Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court] which includes Athens-Clarke County”, adding that this will be done “without regard to political affiliation”. Like the Commissioners, judges are nonpartisan, and on the face of the bill, it appears that Rep. Houston Gaines was intending to ensure that the political leanings of the Commission would not interfere with appointed members to the board. However, if the Commission is inherently nonpartisan, then the issue of partisanship should not be the reason for this legislation as 852 would transfer the appointment decisions from one nonpartisan party to… another nonpartisan party. Like commissioners, judges can have political leanings, as well. This is not unique to commissioners.
Moreover, it is important to note that the Western Judicial Circuit includes both Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County. This implies that Oconee County would have some say in who is appointed to the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections, when the Board should, in reality, only be operated by members elected by residents and officials of Athens-Clarke County – not Oconee County.
While the bills have been tabled, Rep. Houston Gaines plans to revisit them next session. As a result, it is important that we, as Athens residents, keep a close eye on the actions of Rep. Gaines and the other sponsors of this bill, Reps. Wiedower and Rhodes. It is not right that Rep. Gaines, a Representative for Athens, is pushing for decisions in our local government to be made by adjacent county governments, rather than our own.
