PICKENS — Residents could be going to the polls twice on Election Day this year — as county council is considering holding fire board elections and municipal election days.

Council has the option to appoint fire board members, or hold an advisory election, said County Administrator J. Chappell Hurst.

Elections Director Rodney Allen suggested to members of the county’s Justice and Public Safety Committee that the county hold fire board elections on the same day as this year’s municipal elections.

Holding fire board elections on an odd-numbered calendar year — a municipal election year — ensures that the fire board candidates don’t get lost in a sea of other candidates on the ballot.

Fire board elections would not require run-off elections — if there were three positions on a board open, the three candidates with the most votes would fill those positions, Hurst said.

Run-offs would only be needed if two candidates tied for the last open position on a board, Allen said.

Allen said he would prefer a two-week period for candidate filing and that candidates could file at the county Registrations and Elections office, not at individual fire stations.

Council chairman G. Neil Smith asked if the fire board elections would replace the council’s appointing authority, or if council would still be able to take the results under advisement before appoint fire board commissioners.

“If we’re going to go to the point of having an election, it’s going to be hard for us to say that ‘That doesn’t count, folks,’” said Councilman Dr. Jim London.

“It’s still going to have to be advisory,” said Councilman Randy Crenshaw.

Councilman Tom Ponder said his constituents want to be part of the election process, but want that process to be more formalized.

“If we’re going to formalize it, turn it over to the people of the district, it’s going to be really hard to say, ‘Guys, we know you had an election, but we don’t think it counts,’” he said. “If they elect a slate, are we going to go with that slate?”

Formal elections may draw a larger number of candidates for fire district residents to choose from, Ponder said.

Under state law, the election may be considered non-binding, Hurst said.

Most voters would use voting machines to cast their ballots, but paper ballots would also be on-hand, Allen said.

The committee considered holding an election before or after the municipal elections, but decided against it.

Crenshaw suggested elections be held on December 15, as they have been in the past.

But that would force any required run-offs to fall during Christmas holidays, Allen said.

“That would be a blow both to voter turnout and to poll worker morale,” he said.

Holding an election for all 14 fire districts on a separate date would cost the county $6,500, Allen said.

The election, if approved by council, will be held on Election Day, with lines for those voting in municipal elections and lines for those voting for fire boards, to ensure voters do not become confused and that the process cannot be manipulated.

“You’ve got two separate opportunities there, you vote for municipal and then you vote for fire district,” Ponder said.

Smith was concerned that holding the two elections on the same day, even with separate lines and tables, would cause voter confusion and could lead to unqualified voters casting ballots in the fire district election.

Smith said that, according to the Uniform Fire Ordinance, an elector in a fire board election need not be a registered voter — but merely a property owner.

Election officials could use tax maps to determine who was eligible to vote in a fire board election, Allen said.

The Justice Department must approve any changes to the election process, but Allen said he didn’t foresee department officials having any problems with fire board elections.

Committee members voted unanimously to add the fire board elections to the next council agenda.

The measure must pass three readings before taking effect.

County Council will hold their August meeting August 17.