October 13, 2021–8:23 p.m.
STAFF REPORTS
Now that the Floyd County Commission has backed the idea of expanding the Floyd County Election Board from three to five members, the process will move on to the next step.
Paperwork will be drafted to submit to state legislators for approval.
County Commission Chair Wright Bagby supports an expanded board.
Having five would allow things to be divided up a little better, and give them the support and help that they need,” Bagby said. “It would also add some diversity. I know the way Bartow County does it, is they have one two members from the Republican Party and two from the Democratic Party. The 5th member is neutral, not necessarily associated with either party. I think that would lead to a lot of trust and satisfaction to have a broad spectrum of people,”
Bagby also commented on the third-party review requested by the elections board.
He said he doesn’t know if the exact parameters have been established, but the idea is to have elections officials from neighboring counties come in, and examine Floyd County’s procedures to see what improvements need to be made.
“I think the ones they would like to ask if they would help are Bartow, Gordon, and Paulding County,” he said. “All of them have great election processes and formats. In fact, the Paulding person is the president of the state election board’s professionals. In my business, I had peer groups that I could call on to take a look at my business, make suggestions and help me make better decisions.”
WRGA will continue to follow the process and bring