State Board of Elections will fill vacancy on Polk’s board

COLUMBUS—Polk County Board of Elections Director Cliff Marr clarified this week how a new board of elections member will be determined following the resignation of member David Moore. 

Moore resigned his seat on the board of elections effective Friday after being nominated to fill the remaining term of Polk County Commissioner Jake Johnson. 

Johnson resigned as commissioner after serving since 2016 to fill the remaining term of Cody Henson as the representative for the House of Representatives District 113. District 113 serves Polk, Transylvania and much of Henderson counties. 

Johnson is a republican, so the Polk County Republican Party Executive Committee met this week to make the recommendation of Moore. Moore was the only person nominated and the vote was unanimous. The board of commissioners is expected to officially seat Moore during a meeting Monday night, where Moore is also expected to be sworn into office. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the R. Jay Foster Hall of Justice in the Womack building in Columbus. 

Marr said with the appointment of Moore to the board of commissioners, there will be a vacancy on the Polk County Board of Elections. Moore has been on the board of elections since 2013, where until recently he served as chair. 

“The procedure for filling the board of elections vacancy is that the chairperson of the state Republican Party will recommend up to two nominees to the state board of elections,” Marr said. “The SBOE will choose from among the nominees offered and make the appointment. The state party usually asks the local party for recommendations, but is not required to do so.” 

As previously reported, the governor is not involved in this appointment. The governor is only responsible for choosing the chairperson, not the other four members of the board, Marr said. 

The Polk County Republican Party will likely submit recommendations to the state party for a replacement for Moore. It is not yet known when Moore’s replacement will be made. The Polk County Board of Elections currently consists of three democrats and two republicans. Moore’s replacement will be a republican.