Tuesday, the Decatur County Board of Elections voted to appoint Carol Heard as chief elections official.

Heard was serving as active chief since Doris White, who served 11 years, retired last month.

“I’m very honored,” Heard said. “The board has put a lot of trust in us. I feel very honored and am looking forward to the elections.”

The chief of elections official is charged with ensuring every election is executed fairly and impartially and making sure the polls are all operating smoothly, something that doesn’t always happen, Heard said.

The board also appointed Linda Walton as clerk of voter registration.

“I love it,” Walton said of working at the elections office. “It’s exciting. I’ve developed more of a passion for it, and I hope to do the county a great service. We want to education people.”

Even though 2015 is an off year for elections, the pair said they stay busy with training, conferences, community outreach and a lot of paperwork.

The office is currently planning a Civics/Constitution Day panel at Bainbridge State College in September featuring local politicians to promote discussion on constitutional rights and voter registration.

Heard said that it doesn’t matter which of Georgia’s several options for voting you choose.

“Exercise your right,” Heard said. “We want to relay the message that your vote does matter and does count, and it should matter most to you. Take your vote seriously.”

The office will also work with Bainbridge High School this fall and host a registration day.