Gilmer Registrar honored with Frances Duncan Award
News September 3, 2021
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer, like the rest of the state and the nation, has gone through quite a lot since the 2020 Presidential Election. From early voting lines and record setting mail-in ballots to recounts and audits, all while monitoring and maintaining security and integrity in the election results. Now, one award is bringing recognition back to Gilmer County among the entire state.
There is no denying the levels of stress this puts on those running the election in the county and counting the results. Especially under an election that is still being scrutinized today.
To perform and succeed in this situation is one thing, but excelling is something worthy of acknowledgement.
From left to right, Gilmer Probate Judge Scott Chastain, Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins, and Registrar Sherri Jones pose for a picture with Watkins holding the Frances Duncan Award.
That acknowledgement came this week for Gilmer County and it’s Registrars’ Office. Specifically to the county’s Chief Registrar, Tammy Watkins.
Tammy Watkins, Chief Registrar of Gilmer County was honored by the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO), by receiving the Frances Duncan award.
According to Gilmer’s Probate Office, “This award is given to just one person in the entire state of Georgia in recognition for their excellence in elections management.”
Tammy Watkins just returned this week from the GAVREO Conference and training under the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, according to the Registrars Office.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, previous to 2020 and the COVID-19 outbreak, Georgia held one of the largest meetings of election officials in U.S. history in Savannah with more than 700 local and state elections officials from across Georgia attending a four-day conference.
Though Ms. Watkins was unavailable for comment, the Probate Office of Gilmer County issued a statement saying, “This is a very big honor and we would like to congratulate Tammy for a job well done. Gilmer County is very fortunate to have Tammy serve as our Chief Registrar and we should be so proud that one of our own was recognized with such an honor.”
Elections prepares for Tuesday amid challenges
Election, News January 3, 2021
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer County is preparing for Tuesday night’s runoff elections despite no local races being decided this week. This is also coming amid challenges and setbacks continuing in the face of the COVID outbreak.
According to unofficial sources, the just over 6,900 early votes were cast in person and the final day of early voting saw the longest line of this runoff election for Gilmer County, stretching down the stairs and back down the sidewalk towards the corner of the courthouse building similar to what was seen in the main election.
This all comes in addition to news of an outbreak of COVID in the office. Reports are coming with confirmation that Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins tested positive. Other positive tests have been reported but not confirmed.
Citizens have praised the Registrar’s Office for their work in the early voting process saying that it has gone smoother and faster than they noticed in the main elections in November. The office has also worked in conjunction with the Gilmer County Probate Court office to perform two different recounts of the November elections.
Rumors are circulating that the Probate Office may close its doors to the public during their vote counting just as they did in the previous election. While the counts were performed in office just as the have been before, Probate Judge Scott Chastain messaged FYN before the election night saying that he would not be reporting results in person in the office as he has done previously. However, this time, no message has come as of yet from the Judge confirming if he will have the offices open to the public.
Election night for the runoff is Tuesday, January 5, 2020. Citizens are encouraged to visit their voting precincts on the day of election as in-person early voting is now closed.
Gilmer amid statewide recount and audit of elections
Election 2020, News November 16, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer County and its Probate Court are deep amid recounting ballots today as they join in what Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins is calling both an audit and a recount for the Presidential Election of 2020.
With employees from the Probate Office, Registrars, and some other volunteers, officials are fully confident in finishing the counting by Tuesday night.
A major stress on certain county offices, this major process has drawn in employees from both the Probate Office and Registrar’s Office to undertake recounting every one of the 16,576 ballots cast in Gilmer County, according to viewers and officials present at the recount.
Begun on Friday, November 14, 2o20, the process is being undertaken in the Jury Assembly Room of the Gilmer County Courthouse. Gilmer Probate Judge Scott Chastain said they used the Jury Assembly Room to allow public access and viewing of the audit, as required by law. However, he said the room also allowed for social distancing between tables and for space so that one table would not accidentally hear someone from the next table over possibly causing some confusion.
Chastain told FYN that the process was going well on Friday, and they have been looking at the progress daily. Scheduled to count through today and ending tomorrow, Tuesday, November 17, 2020, they actually have until midnight on Wednesday to finish the count. This means that if something happens, the county does have a buffer of one extra day just in case.
Registrar Sherri Jones, left, helps alongside Gary Watkins, right, in the 2020 recount and audit of the Presidential Election on November 13, 2020.
Nearly twenty people at some times helping the process with including some floating staff that comes and goes, Chastain said that eleven core people including the elections review board are constantly working through the process.
Chastain and Watkins are both confident in the speed they have been accomplishing the task and are both fully confident in finishing in the scheduled time.
One of the major points of note in this process, those involved in recounting the ballots are only counting the presidential election. Chastain said this was a concern of his in the beginning. He worried that they would be needing to recount every vote in every race. Instead, focusing only on the presidential race is also helping in accomplishing the recount and audit with speed.
Moving forward, two very different outcomes could mean two very different futures for Georgia. Should the audit come up with different numbers than what the computers accounted for, Chastain said, “When we’re finished statewide, my hope is what the machines said is what we come up with. Because if we have different numbers than the machines, it’s not going to be a good situation statewide.”
A part of the statewide audit and recount, Gilmer County is going through 16,576 ballots through day-of, in-person-early, and absentee voting.
Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins echoed a similar thought saying that the recount could prove to be a test for the election equipment statewide. Watkins has also voiced, in previous interviews, her faith in Gilmer’s elections staff and poll workers and has been happy with the efforts that Gilmer has put forth in elections.
This specific election has seen records broken in terms of those visiting in early voting as well as absentee ballots. Yet, this phrase is beginning to lose some of its impact as Gilmer has repeatedly increased in the numbers this year in each of the election days throughout local, state, and federal offices.
Regardless of what the audit comes up with, some are still concerned that hand counts could become a common thing in future elections with parties constantly claiming instances of voter fraud and suppression as well as other things. However, nothing concrete has been reported yet.
Chastain seeks Election Board instead of Probate Office for elections
News November 15, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Amid budget talks and election recounts, Gilmer County Probate Judge Scott Chastain is continuing seeking to move elections out of the Probate Office and to an alternative, like an election board.
Scott Chastain, Probate Judge of Gilmer County
The issue has been broached in budget talks over recent years as the number of Probate Judges’ in Georgia remaining as elections superintendents has decreased. Chastain has requested that Gilmer’s Board of Commissioners take steps now to move elections to be run by an appointed board.
Chastain commented in the Commissioners November meeting saying, “I think with 23,500, plus or minus, registered voters in Gilmer County and 16,500 or so of those voting in this last election, Gilmer County has risen to the level of population where it is very difficult, I believe, for me to continue to do what I do as a Probate Judge and put on a hat as an Election Superintendent as well. It has always bothered me, too, that I am in control of elections in a county that I run for office. I am on the ballot. To me, that is a conflict…”
Rising debates from the commissioners explored ideas of a three-person-board versus a five-person-board as well as the idea of appointing a new election superintendent that isn’t the Probate Judge. They immediately questioned such a position and its accountability, but did consider options from other public positions either elected or appointed by the county.
Chastain himself suggested at one point that the Board of Commissioners consider creating the Board of Elections within the Registrar’s Office and possibly including Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins on the board or as the superintendent. The sentiment was later partly echoed by Board of Voter Registration member Sherri Jones who offered her personal opinion saying that she would also like to see the elections join with the Registrar’s Office.
Probate Judge Sott Chastain speaks to Gilmer’s Board of Commissioners about elections and moving them out of the Probate Office.
Chastain urged the commissioners to take action on creating a Board of Elections before the increasing numbers of counties moving to a board creates state pressure. He said that he wanted to work with the county on building it with them the way they wanted it before a state legislation comes and mandates the move. A direction that he strongly feels is coming in the future and a legislation that he said he would likely support if brought up. It is a sentiment that he feels many other probate judges would share. He also added that he did not, personally, believe that the Council of Probate Judges would oppose it.
Already researching legislations from other counties that have created an election board, Chastain presented this research as well as a plea to reconsider the idea that has seen no fruition to this point. Noting that there are 32 counties left in Georgia that still have the Probate Judge overseeing the elections including Gilmer. He stated that 28 0f the remaining 31 judges (not counting Gilmer) in the state that still oversee elections want it removed from their office.
Chastain said, “It’s a matter of time before, I think, the state does that.”
The board has still not taken action on the subject as it was brought up during Citizens Wishing to Speak section and not on the agenda. However, the Board of Commissioners did look to put the item on the December agenda for further consideration and possible action through options like a new superintendent or an election board.