The ink is barely dry on candidates’ qualifying checks, but the political fireworks are already sparking.

Kay Seabolt, who is running for the Post 5 seat on the Board of Education, has been asked to withdraw her application for the election. Seabolt said Marilyn Watts, chair of the Fayette County Board of Elections, contacted her last week and informed her she couldn’t run for the office because she was an employee of the school system.

Seabolt said she is working as a substitute teacher and is paid on an hourly basis with no contract. Watts told The Citizen that one of Seabolt’s campaign workers told a member of the county’s elections staff that Seabolt was working as an assistant principal at Peeples Elementary School.

“Anytime anything like that is brought to our attention, we have to do something about it,” Watts said.

A hearing on the matter was conducted by the Fayette County Board of Elections last night after The Citizen was printed.

Seabolt said Watts told her if she didn’t withdraw her candidacy, the hearing would be necessary. Seabolt has retained local attorney Rick Lindsey to represent her.

Seabolt said Georgia law forbids her from working for the school board while she is “serving” on the board. It doesn’t forbid her from qualifying or campaigning while still working for the school system, she added.

Though election law refers to guidelines that should be followed before a candidate qualifies for office, the code section referring to the employment issue is different, Seabolt said.

“In this case, the verb used is ‘serve,’” she said.

The code section, 20-2-51 (c) states: “No person employed by a local board of education shall be eligible to serve as a member of that board of education.”

Watts, who called the issue “an unfortunate situation,” said it may turn out to be that Seabolt’s interpretation of the law is correct.

“I think the distinction is that she’s receiving compensation and that could be perceived to be a conflict of interest,” Watts said.

Seabolt qualified to run for the seat currently occupied by incumbent Lee Wright, who also qualified for re-election. Former school principal Faith Hardnett also qualified to run for that seat, which will be decided at the primary level because no Democrats qualified in the race.

Seabolt previously worked for the school system, serving as its long-time math coordinator in the system’s central office.