House Rep Candidate Taylor Possibly Disqualified Due to Redistricting

Incumbent State Rep. Alisha Morgan (D-39) no longer has a challenger in her race.

Anne Taylor, the Mableton woman seeking Morgan's seat, may be disqualified now that redistricting has carved her home and others out of District 39, which includes Mableton, Austell and parts of Powder Springs. With the recent redistricting changes, Taylor now lives a quarter mile from District 39.

On Friday, Taylor appeared in an Atlanta courtroom for a hearing, where a judge will decide if Taylor can continue to run in her new district or if she will be disqualified from running for office completely this year.

"There's nothing I can do," Taylor told South Cobb Patch on Friday. "Just stay active in the community."

"I'll either go into the good night, but I will not go quietly. Right now, I don't have hope that I will be moved to (District) 40."

The law requires that a candidate running to represent a particular area must have resided in that district for at least a year.

Since the new boundaries for District 40, Taylor's new district, have existed for only months, it's impossible for Taylor to have lived there for at least a year.

"It's a double-edged sword," Taylor said of what she called "bad planning between the state and Cobb County elections board."

Currently, Taylor's name remains on the Democratic ballots and also appeared on absentee ballots, which were sent out and now returned. Her name is still on the Secretary of State's list of qualified candidates for District 39.

She is concerned about voters being disenfranchised because of the oversight.

Taylor actually called the Secretary of State's office to inquire about her possible new district after a friend who lives a few doors down from her said he had been moved to District 40.

After notifying them, Taylor was told that she had, in fact, been redistricted and could not run in District 39.

"I get mad when I think about it...No, I'm not dropping out," Taylor explained. She said if she did, she would let down all the people who had supported her, invested in her and took the time to listen when she knocked on doors while campaigning.

"It would have been all for nothing. You'll have to force me out," Taylor said.

She encourages everyone in South Cobb to check their districts for all races. Citizens can check their particular districts by visiting My MVP on the Secretary of State's website.

"I'm praying that folks notice and vote at the right location and have
time to become informed and learn more about the person who will  be
our representative," she wrote in an email to South Cobb Patch.

See also:

Should Anne Taylor still be allowed to continue her run for District 39? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Don’t miss any of the local news you care about. Subscribe to West Cobb Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.