The city of Demorest is likely headed toward a repeat of the election held there on November 3. Mayor Rick Austin says he he has begun the process to nullify Tuesday’s election results.
“If I see a problem,” he said, “I want to fix it.”
Habersham County Election Supervisor Laurel Ellison had issued a statement, after Demorest’s election results were already announced, that “proper protocol was not followed at the precinct on the day of the election.” One voter was mistakenly allowed to vote twice – once by absentee ballot and once at the polls, she said.
Austin, as a registered voter, rather than Mayor, is taking legal steps to ask that a Superior Court Judge declare the election nullified and order a new election. “I want to make sure that people can put their full trust in the system and in the outcomes,” he says.
“It’s my understanding that it was a combination of computer and human error,” Austin tells Now Habersham. “The individual didn’t intend to cast two votes.” He says the voter in question called the county on Wednesday to make officials aware of what happened. In spite of the error, Austin maintains his support for Habersham County Election Supervisor Laurel Ellison. “I don’t fault her or her staff. Sometimes things happen and in this case it did and we need to rectify it. I think it’s imperative that people trust us.”
If another election is ordered the mayor says it will not cost the City of Demorest anything. He says the tab will be picked up by Habersham County since Demorest contracts with the county to manage its elections and, in this case, the county has admitted it made a mistake.
What’s at stake?
Four candidates ran for two seats on the Demorest City Council on Tuesday. Florence Wikle received 117 votes; Donnie Bennett received 91 votes; John Popham received 90 votes; and Rebecca Shedd received 79 votes.
Because of the one vote margin between Bennett and Popham it is possible that the outcome may have been altered by the voting error.
Also on the ballot were two alcohhol-related referenda: one for sale of liquor by the drink, and one for Sunday sale of liquor by the drink. Austin says if the election is nullified by the Superior Court Judge, it will be up to that judge to determine if all four candidates will need to run again, or if only two will run. He added that the judge would also determine if the alcohol referenda would be placed on the ballot again.
The office of Georgia’s Secretary of State has contacted Austin, in his position as mayor, offering to send a representative to be present at any repeated election. He plans to accept that offer, he says, because “people need to trust what goes on here.” Having a state official present for a new election would foster “confidence in the system,” he added.
