Staff Reports
Marion County District 5 Election Commissioner Charles “Coach” Marshall resigned effective Jan. 20, and the Board of Supervisors has appointed Ada “Jackie” Hammond to complete his term.
Hammond is a 1978 Columbia High School graduate and is retired with 18 years of service from the Division of Medicaid, where she served as division director.
She said she has more than 20 years of election experience, working at the polls as a returning and receiving manager and assisting the circuit clerk’s office in providing training for poll workers.
“I do consider it a privilege and honor to serve as an election commissioner,” she said, noting that she will be the first woman to serve as an election commissioner in Marion County.
Marshall had served since the late 1990s, and Hammond said he recommended her to take his place, which she said she considered an honor.
The election commissioners will be on the November ballot this year. Qualifying began Jan. 2 and continues until June 1. Qualifying paperwork is available at the Circuit Clerk’s Office.
Hammond said she intends to qualify to run for a full term.
She and the other four election commissioners attended their mandatory elections training Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 in Philadelphia, Miss. They joined the other 405 election commissioners in the state to learn the statutory duties of the position, review the laws and attorney general opinions governing the conduct of elections and complete the computer training as required for them to operate the SEMS program. That software is used to maintain voter rolls, prepare for elections and certify results.
Hammond described it as an “intense” training program and said she’s familiar with most of the election process but will have to learn the computer system. She said she is happy to be working with other election officials and believes whatever help she needs they will assist her in learning the role.
She said she’s enjoying it thus far and intends to help inform the public about what goes on during elections.
“They actually think we can go in and change votes and throw votes away, but we can’t do that and we don’t do that,” she said.
