Chatham County elections officials reflect on election season

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - 2020 was an election year full of challenges no one saw coming.

And it’s still not over in Georgia, with a three-race runoff election just days away.

WTOC spoke with elections leaders in Chatham County about all of 2020′s obstacles, and the people working behind the scenes to make sure voter’s voices were heard.

“We’ve certainly lived in interesting times and trying times,” said Chatham County Board of Elections Chairman Tom Mahoney.

Trying times, indeed. But still, Georgia voters participated in a June primary election, an August primary runoff, a November general election and soon, a runoff for three critical races, all in the midst of a pandemic and with a new voting system.

Mahoney said none of that would have happened without the tireless efforts of elections workers and volunteers.

“I think that’s the biggest story that is probably unknown to most people here. We have so many, we have hundreds of workers, and we have dozens of workers at the office who are key people...people who are your neighbors and who’ve given up time out of their schedules so that you can have the opportunity to vote.”

Mahoney’s counterpart across the building at the Board of Registrars echoed that sentiment.

“I think a lot of those efforts went unnoticed, and certainly under appreciated. And we wouldn’t have these smooth elections here in Chatham County without the work of the staff members of the Board of Registrars and the Board of Elections,” said Colin McRae, Chatham County Board of Registrars Chairman.

McRae called those men and women the true heroes of the election season.

And McRae added the courts rulings upholding the efforts and integrity of the election process and workers efforts thus far have been vindicating.

“Despite all the challenges, despite all the lawsuits that came in the aftermath of November, I think that it’s vindicated the system and in particular the individuals, the integrity of those individuals who carried out all of those election activities.”

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