Blog Topic: Raging Election

In the Loop: DA Candidate Sues Kemp Over Delayed Election

By Blake Aued | May 18, 2020 4:11pm

Deborah Gonzalez, a candidate for district attorney in Athens, sued Gov. Brian Kemp today seeking to have the election returned to November 2020.

Former district attorney Ken Mauldin resigned in February, making his chief assistant, Brian Patterson, acting DA and triggering a special election in November. At that time, Patterson and Gonzalez were already running for the seat. Mauldin had previously announced he would not seek re-election.

Under a little-known state law passed in 2018, if Kemp appointed a replacement for Mauldin within six months of he election, the election would be pushed back two years. That deadline came and went two weeks ago.

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In the Loop: Some Parks Reopen, Early Voting Starts Today

By Blake Aued | May 18, 2020 12:35pm

In-person early voting started today across Georgia, and Athens-Clarke County is reopening some parks as well.

Ben Burton, Memorial and Virginia Walker (formerly Trail Creek) parks have partially reopened, and Sandy Creek Park will do so on Tuesday. Click here for information on what activities are allowed and which facilities remain closed at each park. Gatherings are limited to 10 people, and masks are recommended.

In addition to the previously mentioned parks, Dudley Park, Firefly Trail, the Greenway and trails at Sandy Creek Nature Center remain open.

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In the Loop: Oconee Sheriff Candidates Agree on Roundabouts

By Lee Becker | May 11, 2020 5:16pm

Photo Credit: Sarah Bell

James Hale (left) and Jimmy Williamson.

Oconee County sheriff candidates James Hale and Jimmy Williamson said they didn’t want to get involved in a dispute between the School Board and the Board of Commissioners and would continue to provide deputies to direct traffic at school entrances if elected and asked to do so.

At the same time, they said that having deputies in the roadway is dangerous and that they are in favor of road infrastructure changes, including roundabouts, that remove the deputies from the school entrances.

Both said they would be obligated to their deputies to help protect them by getting them out of the roadways when possible.

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In the Loop: Kemp Delays Athens DA Race Until 2022

By Blake Aued | May 5, 2020 1:48pm

Gov. Brian Kemp.

By failing to appoint a replacement for former district attorney Ken Mauldin by last Sunday, Gov. Brian Kemp pushed the scheduled election of a new DA back to 2022.

Under a 2018 state law, if Kemp fills a vacancy within six months of an election, the elections is automatically postponed for two years. That deadline passed on May 3.

The election had already been delayed once. Mauldin resigned in February, which triggered a special election, meaning the two candidates—Brian Patterson and Deborah Gonzalez—would have faced off in November, rather than in the Democratic primary.

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In the Loop: Gonzalez Again Urges Kemp to Appoint DA

By Blake Aued | April 13, 2020 4:48pm

Deborah Gonzalez.

Former state Rep. Deborah Gonzalez, a candidate for Western Circuit District Attorney, has hired an attorney to pressure Gov. Brian Kemp to appoint a DA to replace Ken Mauldin, thus giving voters a chance to choose their DA this November.

Mauldin retired in February, making his chief assistant, Brian Patterson, the acting DA. Patterson is also a candidate for the position.

Under an obscure 2018 state law, if Kemp waits until after May 3—180 days before the November election—the election for DA will be pushed back until 2022.

"Ms. Gonzalez does not want to litigate this matter, the likely constitutional infirmities of the statutory scheme notwithstanding," Adam Sparks of the Atlanta law firm Krevolin Horst wrote in a letter to Kemp and his executive counsel, David Dove, dated Apr. 10. "Even so, she reserves all options at her disposal should the anticipated election not occur due to delay in exercising the Governor’s vested appointment power. "

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In the Loop: Georgia Primaries Postponed Until June

By Blake Aued | April 9, 2020 4:17pm

Brad Raffensperger.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has postponed the state's primaries from May 19 until June 9.

Raffensperger had previously resisted calls to move the election date back, saying he lacked the authority. But then Gov. Brian Kemp extended the state of emergency until May 13 and shelter-in-place order until Apr. 30. Early voting was set to begin Apr. 27.

“Due to the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency through a time period that includes almost every day of in-person voting for an election on May 19, and after careful consideration, I am now comfortable exercising the authority vested in me by Georgia law to postpone the primary election until June 9,” Raffensperger said in a news release. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials and poll workers.”

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In the Loop: Campaigns Move Online in the Coronavirus Age

By Blake Aued | April 7, 2020 2:38pm

Mokah Jasmine Johnson.

Sheltering in place has pretty much shut down campaigning—who wants somebody showing up on their doorstep to hand them a germy pamphlet these days?—but as of right now there is still an election coming up on May 19.

The progressive group Athens for Everyone is hosting a series of debates via Zoom and streaming them on Facebook Live (facebook.com/AthensForEveryone). The first, on Wednesday, Apr. 8, will feature Commission District 6 incumbent Jerry NeSmith and challenger Jesse Houle. Friday, Apr. 10 will bring you District 4 Commissioner Allison Wright and challenger Michael Stapor. The following Wednesday, District 8 candidates Andrea Farnham and Carol Myers are up to bat (Kamau Hill had not confirmed at press time). On Apr. 22, check out District 10 incumbent Mike Hamby and challenger Knowa Johnson. All start at 5:30 p.m. except the District 4 debate, which will start at 5 p.m. They’ll be moderated by yours truly.

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In the Loop: State Says Athens Can't Use Paper Ballots

By Blake Aued | March 11, 2020 7:15pm

Brad Raffensperger.

The State Elections Board voted today to sanction Athens-Clarke County for using paper ballots instead of the new voting machines the state recently sent Georgia counties.

After a hearing held at UGA that lasted nearly eight hours, the state board voted to require the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections to cover the $2,500 cost of the investigation into the decision. The state board will also fine the local board $5,000 for each day it continues to use paper ballots.

ACC could have faced a fine of over $5 million—$5,000 for each of the more than 1,000 paper ballots that had already been cast.

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In the Loop: State Will Hold Hearing on Athens' Use of Paper Ballots

By Blake Aued | March 10, 2020 5:22pm

Early voters in the presidential primary are currently using paper ballots after the ACC Board of Elections voted last week to ditch the state’s new voting machines.

The board voted 3–2 Mar. 3 (with chairman Jesse Evans, Willa Fambrough and new member Rocky Raffle in favor, and Charles Knapper and Patricia Till opposed) to switch to paper ballots for the Mar. 24 presidential primary over concerns that the new machines’ large screens don’t give voters enough privacy. State law requires counties to use the voting system provided by the state unless it’s “impossible or impracticable.” County attorney Judd Drake told the board it will have a hard time meeting that standard, and Director of Elections and Voter Registration Charlotte Sosebee said privacy can be provided.

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In the Loop: Acting DA Brian Patterson Outlines Plans

By Lee Becker | March 9, 2020 12:38pm

Brian Patterson speaks to Oconee County Democrats on Feb. 20.

Brian Patterson, acting district attorney for Oconee and Clarke counties, told Oconee County Democrats last month that, if he becomes district attorney on a permanent basis, he will resurrect a number of unsolved murder cases in the two counties.

He also said he will increase the investigation of organized criminal activity and gang activity, continue to prioritize crimes against women and children, and promote alternative court programs to keep people from having a criminal records for lesser offenses.

At the time he spoke, Patterson was chief assistant district attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit serving the two counties, but he moved up to acting district attorney on Mar. 1 when Ken Mauldin resigned rather than complete his term.

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