UPDATE: 5-29-12, 5:10 p.m.
Barbara Luth, supervisor of department, told Cumming Patch that all three candidates for sheriff will appear on the July 31 ballot.
"Our board has elected not to challenge any of those candidates and we are going forward right now to put all those candidates on the ballot," she said.
The meeting, that lasted for about 30 minutes, was held Tuesday afternoon by the Board of Registrations and Elections at the request of the Forsyth County GOP to look into the matter of the qualification status of the three sheriff’s candidates.
Tuesday, 5-29-12, 1 p.m.
The race for Forsyth County Sheriff continues to get hotter.
Questions have been raised over whether or not all of the Republican candidates, incumbent , and challengers and , qualified as candidates for the race.
According to Barbara Luth, supervisor of department, all three candidates did turn in two important pieces of documentation: their birth certificates and high school diplomas.
"However, per the [Forsyth County] Republican Party, they had not turned them in by the close of qualifying [Friday, May 25 at noon]," said Luth. "So we're looking into that with our legal department to see what, if any, steps the Board of Registrations and Elections have to take."
Luth told Cumming Patch, she along with board members — Superintendent Donald Glover, Douglas Sorrells, and Matthew Blender — will meet with Forsyth County Attorney Ken Jarrard or someone from his office today at 3 p.m. to look into the matter.
Forsyth County GOP Chairman, Ethan Underwood said in a news release, “It is ultimately a candidate’s responsibility to make sure they research and comply with the legal requirements to properly qualify as a candidate. However, we have discovered there was some confusion among the Republican Party’s volunteers at its qualifying booth regarding that fact that most offices which require a high school diploma merely require qualifying candidates to certify via affidavit that they meet this requirement. It appears that some of the sheriff candidates were told by volunteers that copies of their diplomas were not necessary.”
The news release further states:
In addition, the volunteers were provided a Qualification Guidebook, dated April 10, 2012, issued by the Georgia Republican Party. This guidebook includes a list of qualifications for sheriff, and while the requirement of a certified copy of a candidate’s birth certificate is noted, the materials appear to have cut off a reference to the requirement that candidates provide certified copies of their high school diplomas.
Upon realization of these issues, the Forsyth GOP contacted each of the three sheriff’s candidates and each has since delivered his original high school diploma and a certified copy of his birth certificate to the local party.
"All of the candidates qualify, everyone was born in the United States and has provided a certified birth certificate and all have provided copies of their [high school] diplomas," Underwood told Cumming Patch. "So they certainly meet the qualifications to run for office, we just want to make sure that all of them are put on the ballot. That's what we are requesting, but because we did not have that information in hand at noon on Friday then we have to get clarification from the Board of Elections as to whether or not they met the requirements.
Underwood further said in the news release, “It is the Forsyth County Republican Party’s first priority that elections laws be complied with," said Underwood. "However, we do not want candidates who meet the criteria for office to be disqualified on a technicality. It is our desire that all three of these candidates appear on the July 31 ballot so that voters have the opportunity to choose the best candidate to carry the Republican standard in the General Election.”
Stay with Cumming Patch on this developing story.
Are you seriously arguing that another candidate is not suitable for the job of Sheriff because of marital infidelity????? And who exactly is the father of Paula's one year old child? I'd laugh if your post were not so absurd.
8:31 am on Friday, May 18, 2012 No need to fuss folks...... None of you individually contributed to what is fact in this debate. I would love more than anything to bring closure to all of this. To do that I would just need to sit down with the Duane Piper and his wife with my wife and speak my thoughts. My wife would love more than anything to do the same, not out of vengance, but to offer an apology to Mrs. Piper. At some point, a man worthy of such a respectable position should be (and will be) held accountable for his actions. I love my wife more than anything in this world. I thank her for revealing to me what she did in 2007. It contributed to the salvation of a salvagable marriage and intact family. Without the "Blow Hard" references, I do agree one shouldn't cast stones in glass houses and, at this point, that is exactly what has been done. Corey Kendrix
What you are not taking into account is the fact that the woman in Piper's incident was a young girl fresh out of high school who was a fairly new employee of the department. Piper was a Lt. in the patrol division. I call this boarding on illegal and completely immoral. If this is the kind of man you want for Sheriff then we are in trouble as a county and a society. By the way I knew about this happening years ago way before the candidates even considered running for sheriff. I can assure you it is true and the female involved suffered more than you will ever know. And just for your information she broke it off and he continued to pursue her at work until she found another job and left the department. Hope you are considering what you are supporting and the example that he sets for our youth. The scorned woman's father.