On Wednesday, Milton Families First (MFF) came out swinging for citizens and for good governance with a letter to the Georgia Elections Board requesting an investigation into mismanagement of Milton’s elections, possible ethical misconduct, and potential violation of state elections laws.  (I am attaching MFF’s letter below.)  Following is the link to an AJC article on MFF’s elections effort:

AJC: Voting Sites Closed After Milton Takes Over Elections From Fulton

MFF was formed only 10 days ago, so MFF’s request for an investigation is a big, bold (and I think brilliant) move from this non-partisan government watchdog group.  What better way to demonstrate your seriousness of purpose and achieve strong and lasting positive community impact than to tackle elections, which are the foundation of democracy?  And make no mistake about it . . . democracy in Milton is seriously threatened . . . ironic because the impetus for Milton’s election initiative were concerns about elections incompetence and integrity.  Through its thoroughly dishonest, non-transparent, incompetent, partisan, and unfair elections design and planning process, the City of Milton has lost the trust and confidence of many voters.

As readers know, I began blogging about Milton’s elections fiasco on July 16^th, publishing 8 posts about the election since then; this post is my ninth.  As they always do, smart and engaged Miltonites heartily accepted my challenge and loudly protested to Milton’s city government.  Just 8 days later, the overwhelming public outcry resulted in a July 24^th city council vote where council grudgingly reversed its earlier 4-3 vote denying District 3 a polling place.  In a 7-0 vote, council added a District 3 polling location at the Milton Public Safety Complex on Highway 9.  It is a shame that citizens have to coerce council to do the clearly right thing. Council Members Rick Mohrig, Paul Moore, Jan Jacobus, and Andrea Verhoff all backpedaled on their earlier opposition.  This was a huge victory for citizens and voter access . . . and a stinging defeat for the bobbing-and-weaving Moore and Mohrig.  Citizens announced loudly that they, not dissembling politicians (and their partisan operatives), are in charge.  However, as I have discussed at length (and MFF also discusses in its letter), the lack of voting access is one of myriad problems with Milton’s elections process . . . problems stretching back over two years that have been routinely brushed aside and ignored, despite loud protests from citizens and excellent critical reporting from the Milton Herald.  For example, Milton’s Election Feasibility Committee recommended Milton “mirror” Fulton County’s 2021 early voting days/hours, recommending a total of 206 early voting hours.  The City has not only designated early voting days/hours that diverge significantly from Fulton County, but it has reduced total early voting hours by nearly 28% to just 149 hours.  Please read my earlier blog posts to understand the many other serious problems with Milton’s election initiative . . . voter access is just the tip of the iceberg.

So is there a feasible face-saving exit strategy for the Milton City Government?  Because of the city’s endless vacillation and dizzying course corrections, the city’s options are now extremely limited . . . with qualifying set to begin in just 11 days.  The city had a last chance to revert to Fulton County running its elections, which was suggested by Council Member Carol Cookerly and implicitly endorsed (I inferred) by Elections Superintendent Krokoff.  The city blew this opportunity.  Unfortunately, council’s pride, vanity, and weakness carried the day as usual.  Council roundly disregarded Cookerly and Krokoff, and deep-sixed the FuCo option in favor of the city continuing to self-run its elections. 

At this point, I see only one option that could save the city from embarrassment, possible litigation, and the potential for poorly executed elections.  However, it is an option that would require Moore and Mohrig to demonstrate integrity, humility, and selflessness.  It is an option that would require Moore and Mohrig to put the community’s interests above self-interests.  The only way out of this scandal and crisis is for Moore and Mohrig not to run for re-election.  This is the right and decent thing to do.  It rectifies the City’s unethical and indefensible blunder in assigning Moore and Mohrig to design and plan their own elections!  Moore and Mohrig’s withdrawal would likely mean that the city would not have any competitive races, so Milton would have no elections to run.  It would allow the city to hit the reset button and embark upon a deliberate, rigorous, honest, transparent, and fair re-evaluation of its elections options.  It would even have the benefit for Moore and Mohrig of perhaps restoring some measure of community respect (for them) and almost certainly restoring some measure of self-respect.  However, if citizens are counting on Moore and Mohrig to do the right thing . . . don’t hold your breath.  Their track record for altruism is poor. Perhaps, pressure (and even prayer) from the community, particularly family and friends, might be needed.  And if Moore and Mohrig cannot be persuaded to withdraw, I am quite certain citizens will send them into retirement in early November.

 Advocating For Election Integrity and Voter Access,

Tim