By Billy Davis

Wanda Lawrence Carmichael, the first-term county election commissioner who won office last November, informed the Board of Supervisors on Monday she has been elected chairman.

The commission’s selection of Carmichael as chairman means she replaces Ronald “Runt” McMinn, who decided not to seek re-election to the District 5 seat. Carmichael represents District 4.

Carmichael narrowly defeated incumbent Jerry Perkins to win the seat. Election commissioners are elected from the county’s five districts and serve in nonpartisan positions.

Carmichael attended the First District meeting in Sardis to announce the election commission is renovating the sheriff’s office at the county courthouse in Batesville for its use.

The election commission has requested workspace for sometime, and it appeared Monday that Carmichael is heading up that effort.

County Administrator Kelley Magee said counter tops and cabinets have been ordered for the office, and said a computer used by the commission has not been readied for use.

Carmichael told supervisors she and other commissioners met with Magee last week to discuss use of the office.

Carmichael also asked supervisors if it was permissible to work from home while the office is being readied.

Supervisors appeared unsure how to respond to the work-from-home request, and board attorney Bill McKenzie said he was unsure if that was permissible or not.

Board of Supervisors president Kelly Morris told Carmichael that supervisors will decide on the request next week at the Second District meeting, though the office could be ready for use by then, he pointed out.

After the meeting, Carmichael said she has discovered a lot of paperwork that requires extra time to sort through, hence the request.

Carmichael told The Panolian the computer will be moved from the circuit clerk’s office next door to the election commission office. It’s used by election commissioners to purge voter rolls, she said.

Election commissioners are responsible for purging deceased voters from voting rolls in their own districts, said commissioner Bonnie Land, who accompanied Carmichael to the county meeting.
 
“There’s a lot of old business to take care of,” Land told supervisors.  

The other county election commissioners are Dorothy Kerney-Wilbourn, District 1; Julius Harris, District 2; and Jimmy Herron, District 3.