Perry Rettig
“Trouble, oh we got trouble. Right here in River City,” according to the citizens in The Music Man. Rural Iowa isn’t the only place with trouble. Our elected officials, and our city and county staff bemoan the fact that voter turnout is on the decline. As a matter of fact, according to Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson, in a recent off-year election less than 1 percent of eligible citizens voted for a candidate in one ward.
“Trouble, trouble, trouble.” Well, the circumstances the citizens of River City and those of Habersham County may be dissimilar, but we do have our share of concerns. The folks in the Hawkeye State were worried about a pool hall, and we are worried that a very small group of citizens end up choosing the direction of our county.
Often those who voice their concerns at commission meetings, or in the press, or at the voting booth are those who are disgruntled, and more often than not, about a single issue. This can create a situation where a small minority group of people focused on one topic can steer the direction of a city or county for the foreseeable future.
What causes low voter turnout in an off-year election? Voter apathy? Voter satisfaction? Voter confusion? The answer likely is a combination of all three, and maybe more.
Until 2011, city elections were run by the cities themselves in Habersham County. Redundancies, appearance of conflicts of interest, budget constraints, and the need for consistency eventually swayed elected officials to decide that our county staff should oversee all elections. This has helped to establish clarity and consistency.
Habersham County Elections Supervisor and Chief Registrar Laurel Ellison is charged with these responsibilities. She reports directly to County Manager Alicia Vaughn. Each city, in turn, has an officer who serves as a liaison to Ellison. Cornelia Clerk Debbie Turner helps to coordinate elections in the city.
From the perspective of a citizen, election processes may seem daunting and confusing. But Mrs. Ellison explains it truly is all straightforward and cogent. She follows the Secretary of State’s election calendar and is responsible for operationalizing all processes at the local level. As such she is responsible for working with the local community and county elected officials and staff to notify them of timelines for upcoming elections and referenda. She works with the county school district, as well.
Part of these duties include working with the press to advertise elections and provide public notice. Perhaps Ellison’s most visible responsibility includes securing voting sites and election volunteers. She has been fortunate to surround herself with an excellent office staff and a cadre of volunteers over the years. Securing election sites is another matter. It can be difficult to find partners willing and able to provide secure locations for three to up to thirteen days at a time. This is an ongoing challenge.
The Habersham County website contains all the information a citizen could ask for. Focused links are devoted to voter registration, absentee voting, early voting, voting locations, sample ballots, election and public notices, and more. The Georgia Secretary of State’s website contains similar links, as well as the elections calendar Laurel Ellison uses. Both websites contain a link called, “My Voter Page.” If you sign up, it will maintain up-to-date information about your voting registration and ballot status, your polling location, sample ballots for upcoming elections, list of elected officials, mail-in application, and locations for early voting.
With that said, our voting machines are secure. Not only are they under continual observation and control by the staff, but they are not connected to the internet. And, just like our other public and elected officials, Ellison reminds us to get out, exercise our public duty, and vote.
An informed citizenry is what it takes. Indeed, our rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin. Few people are making the decisions for us.
Dr. Perry Rettig is a community contributor for The Northeast Georgian. He is a former vice president at Piedmont University and is now a distinguished university professor at Piedmont.