Fayette elections board member accused of campaigning for Newt Gingrich

Watts, who said she conducts political activities on her Facebook page, said she is not resigning. "I've done nothing wrong," she said. "[Brown is] misinterpreting the law."

The dispute illustrates how little oversight of the election process is legally required at the local level.

State law grants elections officials some leeway when it comes to participating in political activities, said Michael O'Sullivan, a spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State's Office. The law bans elections officials from "engaging in any political activity," he said. But the ban appears to be limited to the time when the person is conducting the duties of his or her office.

The Secretary of State's Office has not received any complaints about the matter. As a result, O'Sullivan said, "it would be hard to say what the violation is."

In addition to state law, Fayette has a more rigid set of guidelines that explicitly prevent elections board members from participating in political activities. The bylaws were crafted by the elections board in 2008, when Watts -- who previously served on the board from 1998 to 2011 -- was its chairwoman.

A section of the bylaws states:

"Board members should not engage in any political activity such as campaigning for any candidate [whether as a volunteer or a paid position] or ballot question, writing letters to the editor, participating in discussion or comments regarding candidates or candidates' activities. Board members should conduct themselves in an objective, detached and non-partisan manner while conducting the business of the Board."

Brown said that in addition to campaigning for Gingrich, Watts has participated in discussions criticizing other candidates, which is prohibited. Watts continues to campaign, Brown said, despite written assurances to county officials that she would refrain from such activities.

"I'm really disappointed in her," said Brown, a one-time supporter of Watts'. "She’s actively involved in Newt’s 2012 campaign in Georgia, and she cannot do that [while] in a board of elections post at the same time."

Watts told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she has scaled back her activities, including telling Gingrich's campaign that she would no longer "take any leading role in the campaign although it's not against the state law to take part in election campaigns."

Elizabeth Poythress, the president of the League of Women Voters of Georgia, said anyone in charge of overseeing an elections process "should be fair and nonpartisan and impartial." Poythress declined to talk specifically about the Fayette case, saying she didn't have all the facts. But she said that "as president of the League of Women Voters, I should not be campaigning for anyone. It doesn't take away my role as a private citizen when I'm not in that role."

Two of the largest elections boards in the state -- Fulton and Gwinnett counties -- do not have policies prohibiting political involvement among their elections board members.

“It's not something that's monitored, but any activity is not brought into the boardroom," said Kristi Royston, deputy director of the Gwinnett County Board of Registration and Elections.

Rod Edmond, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, said: “It’s not unusual for board members to be involved in politics, nor has it created a problem. We trust board members to recuse themselves from voting on issues where there may be a perceived conflict of interest. There's no way the other board members will allow another board member to contaminate the election process."

Paul Ploener, first vice chairman of the Fayette Republican Party, said Brown has blown Watts' political involvement out of proportion.

"What she’s doing may be controversial to some folks, but it's not illegal or unethical," he said. "It's a part-time job. So when she is not at a meeting or in an official capacity, she can be politically involved. This all has to do with how you operate in your official capacity, not your private capacity."

The controversy comes as Gingrich prepares to make two appearances -- including a $500-per-person fundraiser --  in Fayette County on Friday.

Watts is listed on Gingrich’s Newt2012 website as a state leader for Georgia and names her as 13th District chairwoman. Watts told the AJC that she has asked the Gingrich campaign to remove her name.

Watts stands firm, saying it is unrealistic to "expect people to serve on a board that’s just part-time to give up their right to be involved in the political process. If they did that, nobody would serve on the board."

Brown stopped short of saying whether he trusted Watts to be impartial in overseeing a recount or other serious election matter, but he said “anything that undermines the perception of impartiality undermines the election.”

Duties of an elections board member

Generally, the boards collectively oversee the day-to-day operation of the board of elections and registration departments in their communities. They ensure there's a fair and efficient registration and certify all election results. They also determine whether recounts are necessary in the case of disputes. In Fayette County, the County Commission, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party each appoint a member to the elections board. Members of the board earn $242 per month.