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Wednesday, October 2, 2002 Solid staff keeps election office running smoothly By JANET
McGREGOR
Four of the five people currently working in the Fayette County Board of Elections office remember when their office was located on the spot now occupied by the Holiday Inn Express in Fayetteville. They tell tales of the time when everything was done manually and lists were typed on typewriter. If mistakes were made, an entire sheet might have to be re-typed. When computers first snuck into the voting process they would walk the tallies across the street to the courthouse to input them into the sole computer and voting totals were written on a piece of paper and posted in the window. Today, they are wired into a statewide network and most of the work entails the use of computers. Their current office is located on the second floor of the Fayette Administration Complex on the corner of Ga. highways 54 and 85, in what most locals call Stonewall Village. It is clear that those working in the office have to get along to survive; they all work in a common area and each is able to jump in and do the other's job. The office is headed up by manager Carolyn Combs, who has lived in Fayette County for 27 years and has worked for the Board of Elections since 1984. That year Fayette County had 18,000 voters and 15 precincts. Today there are 51,516 active voters, 9,321 inactive voters and 36 precincts. Inactive voters are those who are still on file but have not had any activity for two general elections. Cards are mailed to inactive voters giving them the opportunity to remain on the active list. In alternating years cards are mailed to inactive voters giving them the opportunity to remain on the active voting list. On opposing years, mailing addresses are run through a postal change-of-address program. Those with differing or changed addresses receive a mailer at both locations to determine the proper voting district. The Department of Human Resources, and sometimes relatives, notifies the local elections office of deaths. The Superior Courts keep the Secretary of State updated regarding felony convictions. The state, in turn, appraises the county elections office of the felonies so they can be removed from the voter list. Newly registered voters' information is entered into the system. All 159 counties are connected, allowing more accurate voter records to be maintained. It is virtually impossible for someone to vote in two locations due to the linking of systems. While everything is entered into the system via computer, hard copy records are also maintained. The local elections staff members are all extremely conscientious. They place a lot of emphasis on accuracy and ensuring the election code is kept. While there is always something to keep the staff busy, things heat up the closer it gets to election time. Up to 7 temporary staffers are hired to assist with the additional duties that arise. "It takes months to get ready for an election," said Combs. Poll workers must be trained. Up to 400 poll workers are needed in an election. Training is mandatory. Each precinct must have a poll manager and two assistant managers. Poll managers are paid $160 for the day's work plus an additional $10 for the training. Assistant Managers make $125 plus the $10 for training, and clerks are paid $95 plus $10. Managers have a lot of responsibility and put in a long day. They typically arrive at the polls around 6:15 a.m. and work until 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. depending on how large the voter turnout is. Most managers begin as clerks and work their way up the ranks. Due to the large airline and military population in the county, the request for absentee ballots is huge. There can be over 5,000 absentee ballot requests during a presidential election cycle. The office is also responsible for campaign disclosure reports and financial disclosures. They notify the State Ethics Board when the reports are filed and provide copies, for a nominal copying charge, upon request to the public. A 3-member board presides over Combs' office. The board is comprised of one Republican, one Democrat and one County Commission appointee. Marilyn Watts, Al Lemothe and Steve Kiser make up the current board. The board meets monthly with the Elections office and are responsible for making policy. They meet more often during election cycles, working the same long hours on election day as Carolyn and others regular staffers. They certify all election returns, and in the event of a legal dispute, are the ones who sit in the hot seat.
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