DeKalb, Rockdale elections officials appointed to commission to review Georgia’s next voting system

H. Maxine Daniels, retired director of Voter Registration & Elections in DeKalb County, and Cynthia Welch, supervisor of Rockdale County Board of Elections & Voter Registration, have been appointed to Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s 18-member SAFE Commission. 

Kemp created the Secure, Accessible & Fair Elections Commission (SAFE) to study options for Georgia’s next voting system. The SAFE Commission will conduct thorough discussions on all options – including the feasibility of using all hand-marked paper ballots to all electronic machines with a voter-verified paper trail – and travel the state to solicit feedback from stakeholders. Members will conduct cost analysis of market options, research post-election audit procedures, and provide legislative recommendations to lawmakers before the next session of Georgia’s General Assembly.

“This distinguished group of public servants is diverse, knowledgeable, and ready to engage with stakeholders to research the options for our state’s next voting system,” said Kemp. “It is an honor to serve alongside these individuals, who are committed to an open, transparent, and inclusive process where we set our politics aside and focus on how we can keep Georgia’s elections secure, accessible, and fair.”

Daniels, who retired last year as DeKalb’s elections supervisor, said she is looking forward to serving on the commission and developing a report for the future. 

“Even though I have retired, I am still very interested in the elections,” said Daniels. “I’m excited that I was selected for the commission.  

Welch said she also is looking forward to serving. 

“I really appreciate being selected.It will be the beginning of looking at improvements and establishing a timeline to implement those changes after receiving input from the community, ” said Welch.    

Details on the calendar of meetings and locations for the commission will be released at a later date, according to Kemp’s office.

The SAFE Commission’s members include the following:

Co-Chairs

Secretary of State Brian Kemp

State Representative Barry A. Fleming (R – Harlem)

State Legislators

State Representative James Beverly 

(D – Macon)

State Senator Lester Jackson 

(D – Savannah)

State Senator Brian Strickland 

(R – McDonough)

Elections Officials

Lynn Bailey, Executive Director, Richmond County Board of Elections

Nancy Boren, Director of Elections & Voter Registration, Muscogee County

H. Maxine Daniels, retired director of Voter Registration & Elections, DeKalb County

Deidre Holden, Supervisor of Elections & Voter Registration, Paulding County

Darin McCoy, Probate Judge and Election Superintendent, Evans County

Cynthia Welch, supervisor, Rockdale County Board of Elections & Voter Registration Office

Information Technology and Cyber Security Expert

Wenke Lee, Co-Executive Director, Georgia Tech’s Institute for Information Security & Privacy (IISP)

Political Party Representatives

Michael Jablonski, General Counsel, Democratic Party of Georgia

John Monds, Libertarian Party of Georgia, Executive Committee

Vincent Russo, Deputy General Counsel, Georgia Republican Party

Voter Accessibility Expert

Amy Howell, Assistant Commissioner and General Counsel, Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD)

Voters At-Large

James “Jimmy” McDonald, Managing Principal, McDonald Firm, LLC

Sheila Ross, director of Capital Litigation, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia