When the heads of the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections announced that effective September 9, 2021, Erica Hamilton was on an extended leave of absence from her role as director of DeKalb County Registration and Elections, noticeably missing from the statement was whether Hamilton’s leave was related to her job performance and whether the leave was paid or unpaid.
The joint statement, issued by DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections Chair Dele Lowman Smith and Vice-Chair Nancy Jester, came just six business days after The Georgia Star News reported that 43,000 absentee ballots deposited into DeKalb County drop boxes were counted during the November 2020 election, despite violating a chain of custody rule.
Former President Donald Trump referenced The Star News report in a letter sent to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger last week, in which he asked the state’s top election official to investigate and remedy irregularities in the November 2020 election.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11 Alive and On Common Ground News all reported on the extended leave of absence for Hamilton, and all stated in one form or another that no explanation for the leave was provided.
The Star News asked DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (VRE) if Hamilton’s leave was related to her job performance and if the leave was paid or unpaid.
The response from DeKalb VRE included the statement shared earlier in the month:
Effective September 9, 2021, Erica Hamilton is on an extended leave of absence from her role as director of DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections.
As the department continues its preparations for this upcoming election, Registration Supervisor Twyla Hart steps into the role of Acting Director. Ms. Hart’s nearly 20 years with DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections will ensure continuity for DeKalb County voters, partners, and stakeholders.
Over the next several weeks, we will step up our collaborative efforts to ensure every voter knows how, when, and where to vote as we prepare for a seamless election on November 2.
For more information on DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections, please visit www.dekalbvotes.com or call our office at 404-298-4020.
-Dele Lowman Smith, Chair – DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections
-Nancy Jester, Vice Chair – DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections
The response to The Star News inquiry came from Erik Burton, president of PROFILE Marketing & Public Relations LLC, who was engaged by DeKalb VRE ahead of the November 2020 election to provide support with stakeholder outreach, media relations, social media, collateral creation and crisis communication.
The Star News advised Burton that the statement he provided does not answer the questions of whether Hamilton’s leave is performance-related and paid or unpaid.
“The statement will have to suffice at this time. Feel free to check back for any updates but we don’t have any additional information to share at this time,” replied Burton.
The requested information should be a matter of public record and, as a matter of public interest, should be available to citizens, taxpayers and voters of DeKalb County, The Star News advised Burton.
Burton said The Star News could file an official open records request that would be handled by DeKalb County’s law department.
The Star News immediately made an email request for the public records from Andrew Cauthen, communications manager for DeKalb County, who Burton copied on the email exchange with The Star News.
According to Georgia state statute, O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 known as Georgia’s Open Records Act, the period in which the person in control of the public record must make the determination about whether the records requested are subject to public access “in no event” is to exceed three business days.
– – –
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Star News Network, where she covers stories for The Georgia Star News and The Tennessee Star.
Photo “Erica Hamilton” by 11Alive. Background Photo “Voting Booths” by Tim Evanson. CC BY-SA 2.0.
