By RICK NOLTE Staff Writer
The Ware County Board of Elections and Registration has been targeted by a citizen’s complaint questioning the display of purple ribbons at its office.
Elections Supervisor Carlos Nelson said he was contacted Wednesday, November 3 by an investigator with the Elections Division of the Office of Georgia Secretary of State in Atlanta about the complaint.
The action prompted the Board of Elections to issue a statement Monday, November 10 clarifying the display of the ribbon on the front door of its office at 408 Tebeau Street.
The Waycross Journal-Herald attempted Monday to learn the status of the complaint with a phone call to the Elections Division. A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s media office said unless the case has been presented to the state elections board, it isn’t considered public record, and suggested filing an open records request with the office.
The local office has displayed a purple ribbon on its door since shortly after the January 28, 2024 death of Sgt. Kennedy Sanders while serving with her U.S. Army Reserve unit in Jordan. Sanders, whose favorite color was purple, served as a poll worker for the local board when not on active duty.
A purple ribbon honoring the service of Sgt. Kennedy Sanders in the military and as a poll worker for the Ware County Board of Elections and Registration has been a constant on the door of the board’s downtown Waycross office since shortly after her death January 28, 2024.
Photo By RICK NOLTE
Sanders’ military photo and lanyard holding her Board of Elections identification card have been displayed on the front service counter in the board office since shortly after her death.
Sanders’ father, Shawn, is a candidate for the District 3 seat on the Waycross City Commission. He and Katrena Felder, the seat’s incumbent, are in a runoff Tuesday, December 2 for the post.
Ware County board chairman Danny Bartlett was contacted by the Waycross Journal-Herald seeking comment, and said he had nothing more than the board’s statement.
The statement from the five-person board read: “On January 28, 2024, at just 24 years old, Sgt. Kennedy Sanders was killed in action while serving our country in Jordan.
“When she was not on active duty, Sgt. Sanders faithfully served Ware County as a poll worker for the office of the Ware County Board of Elections and Registration.
“In the days following her passing, our office, along with countless homes and businesses across the community, displayed purple ribbons in her honor, recognizing her ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy today.
“Since that time, the Elections Office has continued to display our purple ribbon as a symbol of remembrance — a tribute to Kennedy’s bright spirit, unwavering dedication, and steadfast commitment to public service.
“We believe some moments must transcend politics, and this is one of them. Sgt. Sanders was a valued member of this community and of our election family.
“We will continue to honor her memory in the most meaningful way we know — with gratitude, respect, and love.
“Our purple ribbons are not a political statement. They are a reflection of our shared humanity, a reminder of a young woman who gave her all in service to others, and a symbol of unity that binds us as a community.
“To those who would seek to turn this gesture of remembrance into division, we are saddened by the hardness of a heart that would attempt to diminish such a sacrifice.”
Nelson said it had been brought to his attention the office’s display of the purple ribbon had been a topic on local social media platforms since before early voting began in mid-October.
