After a long process that began with a request from the former elections superintendent, Long County has a new Board of Elections. The original request went through the county commissioners and was approved by the Georgia General Assembly.
“It’s something that took a little while to work through, but us finally getting the new board is a good thing, and it will be better for the county,” said former Election Superintendent Marie Middleton.
According to Middleton, the new board was activated July 1 and its new members are Vanessa Cunningham, Karen Waters and Price Chapman Jr.
The new three-person panel will assume all of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the former elections superintendent and the Long County Board of Registrars.
According to Long County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bobby Walker, each member will have
a staggered term to prevent a large turnover. One of
the members will serve for two years while the other two will have four-
year terms. However, all three of the members are eligible to serve successive terms without limitations should the commission decide to re-appoint them.
“It’s like the old saying, ‘two heads are better than one,’ or in this case, three heads. But in all seriousness, with a three-person board, you can’t help but do a better job than by just having one person,” Middleton said.
She added, “In the last few years, the elections have become more advanced and it is getting harder and harder to keep up with the changes. Having a board, they will have the ability
to go to seminars and classes to stay on top of the changes.”