FILE – In this Dec. 14, 2020 record photo, erstwhile Atlanta City Councilwoman and Elector Cathy Woolard holds documents arsenic members of Georgia’s Electoral College formed their votes astatine the authorities Capitol successful Atlanta. Commissioners successful Georgia’s Fulton County person picked a erstwhile Atlanta City Council president to pb the county’s elections board. They picked erstwhile Woolard for the occupation successful the Democratic stronghold, which is nether a authorities elections review. ”(AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool)
Commissioners successful Fulton County person picked a erstwhile Atlanta City Council president to pb their predetermination committee arsenic a authorities sheet reviews however elections are conducted successful Georgia’s astir populous county.
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to name Cathy Woolard to seat the five-person region Board of Registration and Elections. Her information by Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts succeeded contempt condemnation of the prime by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s apical elections official.
Raffensperger, a Republican facing a superior situation adjacent year, objected to what helium called a “blatantly governmental appointment” due to the fact that Woolard had registered earlier this twelvemonth arsenic a lobbyist for Fair Fight Action, a radical started by Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who narrowly mislaid the contention for politician to Republican Brian Kemp successful 2018. While Abrams hasn’t said she’s running, she’s wide expected to situation Kemp to a rematch adjacent year.
“Fulton County needs to deliberation again earlier appointing idiosyncratic who is bought and paid for by Stacey Abrams to tally elections successful Fulton County,” Raffensperger said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday. He said it would “do unthinkable harm to the already unspeakable estimation Fulton has for moving elections.”
Raffensperger said successful the merchandise that helium would question the removal of the full region committee of elections by invoking a proviso successful Georgia’s caller predetermination instrumentality if Woolard is successful charge.
Pitts, who has often traded barbs with the caput of state, said Woolard is simply a longtime nationalist servant who’s good qualified for the role. He accused Raffensperger of “playing governmental games.”
“I privation we had a Secretary of State who cared arsenic overmuch astir Fulton County’s voters arsenic helium did astir winning his upcoming primary, but unluckily we bash not,” Pitts said. “Thankfully, present successful Fulton County, we present person Ms. Woolard to capable the void wherever his enactment has failed.”
Commissioner Lee Morris, a Republican, said helium asked Woolard astir her enactment for Fair Fight, and she said she did not bash immoderate existent lobbying for the group, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“All she truly did was present immoderate folks from present to there,” Morris said.
Fulton County, which is location to astir 11% of the state’s electorate, is simply a Democratic stronghold that includes astir of the metropolis of Atlanta. It has a agelong past of predetermination problems and has been a accordant people for Republicans. After the county’s superior predetermination past twelvemonth was marred by problems, an autarkic show was appointed arsenic portion of a consent bid reached with the State Election Board.
That show observed Fulton County’s predetermination processes from October done January and wrote that helium witnessed “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but did not spot “any illegality, fraud oregon intentional malfeasance.”
Former President Donald Trump zeroed successful connected Fulton County aft narrowly losing Georgia successful the November wide election, claiming without grounds that fraud successful the region aided President Joe Biden’s victory. He besides heavy criticized Raffensperger for not acting to overturn his loss, and has endorsed U.S. Rep. Jody Hice who’s acceptable to situation Raffensperger successful the Republican superior adjacent year.
The State Election Board past period appointed a three-person review sheet to analyse Fulton County’s handling of elections aft receiving requests from Republican lawmakers who correspond the county. The lawmakers were utilizing a arguable proviso of the state’s sweeping new predetermination law that provides a way for a authorities takeover of elections successful a county.
In summation to serving connected Atlanta’s City Council, Woolard besides ran unsuccessfully to beryllium Atlanta politician 4 years agone and served arsenic a subordinate of Georgia’s Electoral College delegation successful December. She thanked Pitts and different commissioners for their enactment aft they chose her for the job.
“My acquisition arsenic a campaigner and arsenic presiding serviceman of the Atlanta City Council gives maine position and discourse for the challenges we look arsenic voters and nationalist servants conducting harmless and just elections,” Woolard tweeted. “I look guardant to getting started.”
The Fulton County predetermination committee is made up of 2 Democratic appointees, 2 Republican appointees and a seat who is appointed by the Board of Commissioners.
During a quality league Thursday, Raffensperger reiterated his absorption to Woolard taking the helm of the Fulton County predetermination board. One of his apical deputies, Gabriel Sterling, besides expressed concerns earlier Woolard was selected but took a much measured attack aft the committee ballot to o.k. Woolard arsenic predetermination committee chair.
“I deliberation the optics volition provender imaginable conspiracies,” Sterling tweeted Wednesday evening. “But I besides deliberation she is astute and a hard idiosyncratic and volition hopefully bash each she tin to show an adjacent keeled attack to assistance assuage immoderate fears.”
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