Potter retires as GOP registrar

CORNWALL — There’s a new Republican registrar of voters in town, but Ginny Potter’s familiar face can still be expected at the polls.

Potter turned over her duties Aug. 15 to her deputy, Cara Weigold, who has been training for the eventuality. It was all a matter of timing.

Potter assumes many volunteer hats in Cornwall, and said it is time to scale back. At the same time, the elected position she has held since 2001 has changed dramatically.

“There is so much more complexity and training involved with the job as technology is used more and more,” Potter said. “I think it’s great, but the state is requiring hours of classes and ongoing certifications as computers are used more and more. That’s all something for younger people. Cara does website design, so she is perfect for this.”

Potter is among the pioneers who weathered the first, faltering technological innovations into voting — mainly, optical scanners. 

“We were all untrained volunteers. We went about it the best way we could and figured it out,” she said. “Things are continuing to evolve and it’s going to take people who are certified.”

According to Potter, a deputy registrar automatically takes over when a registrar leaves a post. He or she is required to run in the next election to keep the post. That happens in even year elections, as registrars are now added to the ballot of candidates for state and federal offices (not the municipal elections held in odd years, such as the one this November).

Weigold will appoint her own deputy. While she did not return a request for comment, Potter said it will likely be someone with election experience.

“I am delighted to be able to hand it off to someone with new energy and technical know-how. As for me, I’m thinking I’ll still be working the polls, but I won’t be getting up at 5 a.m. Maybe I’ll just hand out ‘I voted’ stickers.”

She is confident in Weigold, and also knows that Jayne Ridgway, the Democratic registrar she worked with for years, will still be there. 

“We work as a team. Political parties don’t really come into it,” Potter said.