Elections:

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The increase is at least in part due to additions such as a 10 percent contingency and funding for an elections consultant, Milton Deputy City Manager Stacey Inglis said.

Elections staff

The city’s task force currently comprises Inglis, City Clerk Tammy Lowit and Krokoff, who the City Council appointed as municipal elections superintendent during Monday’s meeting.

The three underwent specialized training, which included learning how to use GARVIS, Georgia’s new voting system that was implemented this year, as well as an overview of the election process through the Secretary of State’s office. They have also completed an 11-module course to earn the Municipal Election Official Certification.

The assistant elections superintendent, the absentee ballot clerk and the elections consultant, who would guide the city throughout preparations, are roles yet to be filled.

Inglis said the consultant’s responsibilities would include helping recruit, hire and train poll workers; reviewing directives issued by the Secretary of State; and helping with polling location layout and setup. They would also help acquire all election equipment and supplies, as well as publish required notices, Inglis said.

Krokoff says the city is looking for someone who has experience as an elections superintendent, able to help with each portion of the process.

“What I’m looking for is someone that’s done this,” Krokoff said. “I don’t need another us, right?”

The position has a budget of $20,000, though Krokoff said one candidate requested $100,000.

The city has given itself an April 24 deadline to find someone who fits the bill.

Polling locations

Councilmembers agreed there would be one polling location for advanced voting and that it would be Milton City Hall. However, the question of how many polling places there would be on election day saw debate.

During the April 10 meeting, Krokoff suggested that the city should have three polling locations for more “cushion,” diverging from the Milton election committee’s recommendation of two locations.

Krokoff provided a color-coded map to the City Council, outlining three precincts and highlighting potential polling locations, like Milton City Hall, the Milton City Park and Preserve, and the Milton Municipal Court.

Three voting sites could better accommodate a voting surge, Krokoff said, and they align with the city’s three council districts.

Some councilmembers disagreed with the proposal. From a cost savings perspective, Councilman Rick Mohrig preferred to stick with the election committee’s recommendation. In the first year, three polling locations would cost the city around $11,000 more than having two.

“It’s going down for the eight,” Mohrig said, referring to Fulton County’s number of polling locations. “We could have gone with one location, but we ended up going with the two. I’m not so worried about long lines. I think people have a choice if they want to go for early voting. They’ll have plenty of days to do that.”

But Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and others said three locations would be better.

“I like three,” Jamison said. “I think we went from a feasibility committee, and now we’re more operational. We need to do what’s going to make this the most successful.”

Considering the lack of consensus, the Milton City Council was expected to return to the issue at its April 17 work session.

More information

Milton Municipal Elections

In August 2021, Milton voters began petitioning their City Council to exit Fulton County elections. It sparked a years-long campaign that spread to other North Fulton cities. Alpharetta, Roswell and Johns Creek have since indicated they will stick with the county – at least for the 2023 election season. Milton is set to operate ballots on their own. Appen Media will continue to cover the story as the city works through logistics of operating an election.

If you have questions, thoughts or story ideas, send them to newsroom@appenmedia.com. Then check back here next week or go to appenmedia.com/municipal_elections.

Here’s a question from one of our readers: “Where is the paperwork that shows the cost comparisons published for all to read?”

Answer: The City of Milton is developing a webpage for its municipal elections, anticipated to go live in early summer. Staff say the page will not include cost comparisons between the city-run municipal election and what Fulton County would have charged for conducting the operation. According to Milton Communications Director Greg Botelho, the focus of the page is information specifically for voters, rather than explaining the election decision and process.

Appen Media reported that the City of Milton paid a subsidized cost of $84,671 to Fulton County to run its 2021 municipal general election and another $70,368 to conduct a runoff election in late November.

The Fulton County Commission decided in February it would no longer use a flat, per-registered-voter rate. Instead, it will charge cities a percentage of the total estimated cost the county anticipates to spend, meaning cities would likely pay more than they did in previous years.