Mary Norwood asked the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections Wednesday to cut her a break.

The former Atlanta City councilwoman wants to run as an independent  in the election for chair of the Fulton County commission. However, she missed her candidacy filing deadline last Friday by four hours and forty minutes.

In a letter, Balch & Bingham lawyer  J. Matthew Maguire Jr., citing court precedents from Texas to South Carolina, formally asked that the board exercise its "discretion to accept Norwood's notice of candidacy."

Maguire asked that the board to qualify Norwood by Thursday. He got his answer Wednesday.  She was out of luck.

"Our Board does not have the power or discretion to ignore the Georgia Election Code, "wrote board Chairman Roderick Edmond. " Any legal argument you want to make regarding its unconstitutionality would need to be addressed to the courts."

About the Author

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com