Calhoun County primary elections sees smooth sailing

MORGAN – The Calhoun County Superintendent of Elections, Judge Annie Holder, said primary election day went well Tuesday, with no machine troubles or interruptions.

Voter turnout across the county was low, which Holder said is the norm for Presidential primaries in the county.

The county saw about a 10% in-person turnout on election day with 279 voters; 158 early votes were cast in person and 37 absentee ballots received.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the day a 9.5,” Holder said.

While the elections flowed smoothly, Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Clerk Amanda Milner said the county also pulled off early voting with the help of Mark Strickland, who was appointed to the county’s Board of Registrars last month by Judge Heather Lanier at the recommendation of the Grand Jury. Strickland entered the board with experience working election polls and having once served as Calhoun’s County Tax Appraiser.

“He is a wonderful addition and very knowledgeable,” Milner said. “The county is ecstatic he is in this position.”

Strickland enters the position amid legislation pending Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature that would change which entity handles county elections, starting January 2025.

Strickland said at the recommendation of Georgia Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, if the legislation passes, the Board of Registrars will change to a combined Board of Registrars and Electors. 

“Holder has been doing it now for several years and has been doing an exemplary job, but it is becoming more and more common in Georgia to see a combined board,” he said.

Strickland said he expects the legislation to pass.

The way county board members are appointed also would change under the new law. The majority and minority party each will make two nominations, and then county commissioners would nominate their own person. Strickland said the Board of Registrars is also in the process of hiring a new person to take over as the Deputy Registrar.

The former Deputy Registrar, Brooklyn Diehl, submitted her letter of resignation at the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners meeting in February. The Board voted to accept the letter.

With the new legislation, the new Deputy Registrar would become the Superintendent of Elections for the county.

“So we’re taking that into consideration in who we hire,” Strickland said. “We have high hopes for the future. We think things will go very well. We have some excellent candidates that are being considered.”

Candidates qualifying for county positions included:

Sheriff

Josh Hilton (incumbent)

Probate Judge

Annie Holder (incumbent)

Lisa House

Clerk of Superior Court

Karen Taylor (incumbent)

Tax Commissioner

Denise Varnum (incumbent)

Coroner

Darien Deon Brown (incumbent)

Michael Dexter Beard

Kenneth Zachary Jr.

County Commissioner

Brenda Milner Weathersby, District 2 (incumbent)

Tommy Manry Jr., District 4 (incumbent)

Board of Education

Kim Douglas, District 1

Bobby Paul, District 2 (incumbent)

Shawanda Brown, District 3

Ronnie Williams, District 4 (incumbent)

Lester Hutchins, District 5 (incumbent)

Sam Robinson, District 5

Claude Bernard Buck, At-Large

Tonny Ingram, At-Large (incumbent)

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan
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