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Georgia lawmakers approve chairman of State Election Board

The Georgia House and state Senate both voted unanimously to approve the appointment of William Duffey as chairman of the State Election Board. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Credit: Miguel Martinez

The Georgia House and state Senate both voted unanimously to approve the appointment of William Duffey as chairman of the State Election Board. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com
By
March 27, 2023

The General Assembly on Monday approved the appointment of a former federal judge as chairman of the State Election Board.

William Duffey has served as chair of the board since Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to the post in June. The appointment was subject to approval by state lawmakers.

The House approved Duffey by a vote of 173-0 on Monday. The Senate approved his appointment a short while later by a vote of 53-0.

Kemp’s appointment followed the General Assembly’s 2021 decision to remove Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as chairman of the board.

Duffey was a judge for the U.S. District Court in Atlanta from 2004 until his retirement in 2018. He previously was the U.S. attorney in Atlanta.

As chairman, Duffey oversees an election board that reviews allegations of voting infractions, imposes fines and refers cases to prosecutors.

About the Author

David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

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