Today’s election last one for long-time county director
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People passed one another going in and out of the Washington County Board of Elections office on Davis Avenue Monday afternoon, keen to take advantage of the last day of early in-person voting in today’s election.
The operation was quiet and smooth, with elections office workers first checking in voters and then showing them how to cast ballots on the new voting equipment.
Peggy Byers, deputy director of elections, was part of the no-fuss, no-muss process of getting people through their most basic act of democratic participation. This will be the last election Byers oversees.
Byers, 68, recently announced that after 13 years, she’ll be leaving the position. Not unlike the opportunity to start the job, developments in her life persuaded her to leave.
“I started in September 2006. My son had graduated as a doctor, and my daughter finished her degree in international relations, and I was looking for something different to do,” she said. “I was in a place where I could gamble a little. I saw the headline in The Times about this job and thought I’d try it. I love interaction with people.”
Byers holds degrees in business administration from Marietta College, human resources from Wheeling Jesuit University and a masters in liberal education and communication from Marietta College.
She has seen the job grow increasingly complex over the years, particularly on the technical side.
“Now it’s much more intricate, with social media, web design, and especially cybersecurity,” she said. “You wind up wearing a lot of hats. It’s an eternal learning process.”
Although elections generally are held twice a year, the director and deputy director work full time the year round.
“There are new laws, new rules, every four years you have a new administration, and they often like to change things,” Byers said.
There also are court cases to be aware of, and the elections director and deputy director also need to scout trends and proposals that could affect voting on the county level.
Byers for five years has been secretary for the Ohio Association of Election Officials.
“You get to give opinions, to have a voice for Washington County, there,” she said. “During my time here, there has been real progress in getting the state legislators to listen, better cooperation.”
With changes to voting rules and equipment, dates, deadlines and processes, the local elections office needs to stay ahead of the game, she said.
“You really want to stay on top of it, and try to head things off if that’s what’s needed,” she said. “It’s important that we speak up, and there’s a whole network of ways to be heard.”
County election officials are in constant contact with one another, especially in checking voter lists for people who have moved and are registered as voters in both counties, she said.
Byers said there are aspects of the job she will miss.
“I love the work, not so much the politics,” she said with a smile. “It’s been a fun job, I’ve enjoyed the people at every level.”
Her husband, she said, is state chairman of the Knights of Columbus, and leaving the job will allow her to travel with him - “I love camping,” she said - and her daughter is due to give birth to twins soon and could use some help.
“There are lots of good things to come for me, but I will miss this job,” she said.
Replacing Byers will be a complicated process. Ohio law requires that the two top elections jobs in each county - director and deputy director - be kept in balance by having the positions filled by representatives of each of the two major political parties. Director Mandy Amos is a Republican, and Byers, a Democrat, will have to be replaced by another registered Democrat, to be recommended by the two Democrats on the county board of elections.
Dennis Sipe, the board chair, said that as of last week the board had received four applications for the position, which pays about $56,000 a year.
The ad for the job indicates that a college education is desirable but not required, and lists a host of qualifying skills and experience, including familiarity with election rules and voting equipment, and general management abilities.
“Obviously, we want someone who can perform under pressure and at the same time treat people with respect,” Sipe said. “This operation is heavily driven by electronic equipment, computers, everything digital, and we need someone who will get along with people.”
There’s a learning curve, he said, but they’re not expecting someone who knows how to do everything, just someone who’s will to learn.
“It’s a lot of statutes that are time-sensitive,” he said. “We been very fortunate to have an operation that’s pretty smooth, gets the results out, and they’re accurate, results that people can have faith in that they’re fair and open.”
The board has been grateful to have Byers in that position, he said.
“Peggy has been great, she’s very forward-thinking, she anticipates problems and tells us things in advance,” he said. “She does well in the center of a storm. For instance, when we need a replacement poll worker, she’ll have three other people lined up, she’ll say, ‘I planned for this.’ You don’t want somebody who loses their composure. She’s always wanted to do a good job.”
Sipe said another consideration is the coming year, the 2020 presidential primaries and general election, which is going to be challenging.
“The person who steps in is going to have their hands full,” he said. “The primary is early this time, and primaries are really four or five different elections in one, it’s separate elections for all the parties. There’s a lot going on, getting the correct ballots and language. Then there’s just the sheer number of people who will be voting.”
Factors outside the ballot box can complicate things as well, he said.
“Another thing is the lawsuits,” he said. “You need to pay attention to what the courts are doing, get advice from the Secretary of State and the county attorney, watch for appeals. Those things tend to get heightened in presidential years. It attracts litigation.”
Sipe said he expects the committee to interview candidates around Dec. 11.
Candidates for the job must be registered Democrats. Description of the job and qualifications, along with instructions on applying, can be found on the Washington County board of elections website, washingtongov.org.
Michael Kelly can be contacted at mkelly@mariettatimes.com.
Peggy Byers
• Position: deputy director, Washington County board of elections.
• First hired: September 2006.
• Age: 68.
• Retirement date: Dec. 31.
• Replacement to be hired in December.
Source: Peggy Byers.
How to Vote Today
• Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Polling Places in Washington County
• Belpre Church of Christ
2932 Washington Blvd., Belpre.
Precincts:
Belpre 1A - 0001
Belpre 2A - 0002
Belpre 3A - 0003
Belpre 4A - 0004
Rockland East - 0023
ADA Accessible
¯ Beverly Volunteer Fire Department
400 Seventh St., Beverly.
Precincts:
Lowell/Adams - 0016
Beverly/Waterford - 0052
Waterford A - 0054
ADA Accessible
¯ First Church of the Nazarene
100 Mill Creek Road, Marietta.
Precincts:
Marietta 1A - 0006
Marietta 1B - 0007
Marietta 3A - 0010
Fearing - 0029
ADA Accessible
¯ Knights of Columbus Hall
312 Franklin St., Marietta.
Precincts:
Marietta 4A - 0013
Marietta 4B - 0014
Marietta West - 0040
Musk West - 0044
ADA Accessible
¯ Lighthouse Baptist Church
8135 State Route 339, Vincent.
Precincts:
Barlow - 0019
Vincent - 0020
Decatur - 0025
Dunham East - 0026
Dunham West - 0027
Fairfield - 0028
Wesley - 0056
ADA Accessible
¯ Marietta Township Recreation Center
260 Sandhill Road, Marietta
Precincts:
Marietta East A - 0036
Marietta East B - 0037
Marietta East C - 0038
Marietta East D - 0039
ADA Accessible
¯ New Matamoras Public Library
101 Merchant St., New Matamoras
Precincts:
Matamoras/Grandview - 0030
Ludlow - 0035
ADA Accessible
¯ Newport United Methodist Church
420 Greene St., Newport.
Precincts:
Independence - 0032
Lawrence - 0033
Newport - 0045
ADA Accessible
¯ Pinehurst Christian Church
20307 State Route 550, Marietta.
Precincts:
Warren Northeast - 0049
Warren Northwest - 0050
Warren South - 0051
ADA Accessible
¯ Porterfield Baptist Church
39 Hollywood Drive, Little Hocking.
Precincts:
Little Hocking - 0021
Rockland West - 0024
ADA Accessible
¯ Lower Paw Paw Church of Christ
9660 State Route 821, Lower Salem.
Precincts:
Aurelius - 0018
Liberty - 0034
Salem - 0048
ADA Accessible
¯ Washington County Junior Fair Building
922 Front St., Marietta.
Precincts;
Marietta 2A - 0008
Marietta 2B - 0009
Marietta 3B - 0011
Marietta 3C - 0012
Marietta 4C - 0015
Musk East A - 0041
Musk East B - 0042
Musk East C - 0043
ADA Accessible
¯ Watertown Volunteer Fire Department
12725 State Route 676, Waterford.
Precinct:s
Palmer - 0047
Watertown - 0055
ADA Accessible
Source: Washington County Board of Elections.