Gwinnett County voters in former county commissioner Shirley Lasseter's district will have two chances to replace her. On the same day.
On Nov. 6 Gwinnett will hold a general election to fill Lasseter’s District 1 seat for a four-year term that begins Jan. 1. The special election to fill her unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31, will also be Nov. 6, the county announced Monday.
Lasseter resigned last week after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge.
Communications director Joe Sorenson said there isn’t enough time to prepare a new special-election ballot, test voting equipment and clear other hurdles in time to hold the special election during the July 31 primary election. The next available date for the special election is the Nov. 6 general election.
If that’s not confusing enough, two slightly different groups of voters will cast ballots in each Nov. 6 election. Special-election voters will be those who live in District 1 as it existed before the Legislature drew new boundaries last year. Those who vote in the general election will be those who live in the “new” district.
Sorenson said the groups are mostly the same. . He didn’t know how many people would not be able to vote in both elections.
Suwanee City Councilman Jace Brooks and Duluth accountant Laurie McClain, both Republicans, are the only candidates for Lasseter’s seat in the July 31 primary. The winner will be on the general election ballot.
Sorenson said the candidate qualifying period for the special election has not been determined.
Lasseter admitted she accepted $36,500 from an undercover FBI agent to support a real estate development on Boggs Road.
Her son, John Fanning, and Hall County businessman Carl “Skip” Cain also pleaded guilty to bribery and to drug charges. FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office officials say their investigation is continuing.
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