by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
A new elections office will soon be on the City Council’s agenda, as will a subject that will affect everyone: getting rid of spring elections.
Council president Jerry Holland said last week that the Council “will look at a new main office” for the elections staff. Supervisor of Elections John Stafford says his staff has outgrown the present office at Newnan and Monroe streets.
Holland also said the Council will look at consolidating local elections, which now are held in the spring, with the state and national elections, held in November.
“We’re getting a 20-25 percent turnout in the spring,” Holland told the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee at its monthly meeting at the Chamber building downtown. “In the fall, we get 50 percent. It makes sense to look at this.”
The next election will be April 15 with the mayor, sheriff, constitutional officers and City Council on the ballot. Runoffs will be May 13.
Holland also said the Council will consider buying “touch screen” voting devices, a move championed by various groups of disabled citizens.
“It’s a big item, about $1 million to get these screens for each of our 285 precincts, but we need to try to do this,” he said.
Holland, who is a member of the local canvassing board, said he believes this year’s election went as well as it could have. He volunteered as a poll worker to see the process up close.
“I got motivated like many people did,” he said. “It was a chance to help and be part of the system.
“It wasn’t easy. You get every question in the world. It was a great experience.”
And, he passed on a tip for anyone wanting to run for office.
“Go be a poll worker,” he said. “A thousand to 1,500 voters come to see you.”