Peach Tree Times

The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted to remove its elections director Richard Barron for violating election procedures during the 2020 election.

Republicans Kathleen Ruth and Mark Wingate joined Democrat Vice Chair Vernetta Keith Nuriddin in voting to remove Barron. Chairperson Mary Carole Cooney and Aaron Johnson, both Democrats, voted to retain Barron.

“The 2020 election cycle did highlight many vulnerabilities in the Fulton election system: errors, sloppy and inefficient processes that really are unacceptable,” Ruth said, the Epoch Times reported.

An earlier vote to oust Barron was disqualified for occurring during a private meeting.

Johnson's argument was that, although the board did poorly in the June 2020 primary election, they performed better in the November general election. He also wanted the next board to deliberate on the matter.

Fulton County made headlines last year after the 'burst pipe' incident. Election workers were alerted of a burst pipe only to discover it was an overflowing urinal. Also, an election manager announced the close of ballot counting only for workers to resume counting soon after.

The meeting to vote was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and both sides had a chance to defend their decision. 

The spokesperson for the county, Regina Waller was pro-Barron.

"[He] has shown his ability to guide, motivate, steer, and maintain the course of integrity, honesty, and fairness,” Ruth said, according to The Epoch Times. 

Bridget Thorne, a former county precinct manager, criticized Barron.

"Your leader, Mr. Barron, has said publicly he is burned out. A burned-out leader isn’t going to fire up a new system. I think it’s time to get a new leader,” she said, the Epoch Times reported.

Thorne and another worker were fired for reporting election irregularities. 

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office criticized the county’s handling of the election, citing "managerial sloppiness.”