Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler announced her retirement last week and will leave her position after the March special election.
Eveler worked for the county for 18 years, served as director for 12, and navigated the county elections department through a slew of challenges, including changes to state election laws, false allegations of election fraud and severe staffing shortages during the pandemic.
During the 2020 election, Cobb County Elections became the focal point of a massive absentee ballot audit and withstood an unfounded lawsuit from Donald Trump challenging the legitimacy of the election. Eveler was also called to testify in 2022 before the Fulton special grand jury investigating criminal interference in Georgia’s election process, which concluded this month.
In 2021, the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Elections Officials recognized Eveler for “excellence in elections administration.”
“I am very proud of the accomplishments that I and the Elections department have achieved and appreciate the opportunity to serve the citizens of the best county in Georgia,” she said in a statement.
The department faced increased scrutiny in November when a series of blunders — absentee ballots that weren’t mailed, ballot errors after redistricting, and a missing memory card — prompted an internal review of processes and training.
The county may use an outside search firm to conduct the hiring process for Eveler’s replacement, county spokesman Ross Cavitt said.
Elections Chairwoman Tori Silas said the county will “find a director that possesses the right combination of relevant experience and leadership abilities” to serve the county.
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