DeKalb Elections Director On 'Extended Leave Of Absence'

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Erica Hamilton, director of DeKalb County's Department of Voter Registration and Elections, has been placed on an "extended leave of absence," but it's unclear as to why or for how long.

The announcement came late Wednesday in a joint statement by Dele Lowman Smith and Nancy Jester, the chair and vice chair of the county Board of Registration and Elections, respectively. Hamilton's leave was effective Thursday, Sept. 9, and the reason has not been made public.

It's also not clear how long Hamilton will be gone, but the board selected a temporary substitute for Hamilton, indicating it could be at least few weeks — but DeKalb Commissioner Ted Terry told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it could lead to a permanent departure.

Registration Supervisor Twyla Hart, who's served the department for nearly 20 years, will serve as acting director.

“We wish [Hamilton] well,” Terry wrote in a text message to the AJC. “It is the end of a tumultuous era, with many challenges faced, but not all overcome. With a new board in place, it makes sense that they would hit the reset button.”

Hamilton started with the department on an interim basis in 2017, and began her permanent tenure shortly afterward. She has drawn criticism in the past, particularly during last year's long election cycle in Georgia, the AJC reported.

The five-member election board, which has the authority to hire and fire the county's elections director, meets at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

"Over the next several weeks, we will step up our collaborative efforts to ensure every voter knows how, when, and where to vote as we prepare for a seamless election on November 2," Lowman Smith and Jester said in the statement.