COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County has a new elections director.
The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration announced Tate Fall will take over operations. She starts in December.
Fall currently serves as the Deputy Director of Elections of Arlington County, Virginia. She also worked for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
She is an Auburn University alumna, graduating with a master's degree in public administration with a graduate certificate in election administration.
According to the board, she is excited to return to the South.
Board of Elections and Registration Chairwoman Tori Silas said the board was impressed by Fall’s enthusiasm.
“It was difficult to find someone with the level of experience needed along with the zeal for this job,” Silas said in a news release. “We believe we have found the right person at the right time.”
Fall will start Dec. 4 and assume the role after interim director Gerry Miller, who agreed earlier this year to come out of retirement to lead the department until a permanent replacement could be found.
Cobb County election scrutiny
Fall assumes the role after Cobb County has faced criticisms for mishandling ballots during the midterm elections. The county recently announced that 18 absentee ballots were never counted.
Miller first noticed the uncounted ballots and reported it to the board, which went up the chain to state officials, the board said.
This issue mounts on top of scrutiny Cobb County experienced during the November 2022 election, when then-Elections and Registrations Director Janine Eveler said 1,046 requested absentee ballots were never mailed. At the time, Cobb County voters had requested more absentee ballots than any other county in Georgia. A lawsuit was filed against the county amid the issue.
Eveler cited Georgia's newest election law, SB202, which required voters to request absentee ballots 78 days before an election - creating a tight turnaround for election officials who now have to send ballots to voters 29 days before an election.
Eveler retired in January after 18 years with the county. Leaders then said they would actively adjust processes for a smoother election in the future, as the state opened a second investigation into county operations.