Pinal County’s elections director abruptly resigned this week after facing harsh criticism from the county GOP. Her scathing resignation letter led many to compare her departure to those of other elections directors across the country who are facing harassment and resigning in droves as GOP leaders and residents confront them with false accusations about elections. But the circumstances here are far different.
There have been real problems in Pinal County’s elections, and Geraldine Roll was under the microscope to fix them fast.
The scrutiny Roll faced from the supervisors and the public since she took the position in December – especially, of late, from Republicans in the county who say they are concerned about election integrity – put immense pressure on Roll as she tried to quickly fix problems, develop new procedures, and hire a new team. At the same time, there were signs of growing tension with county supervisors.
The letter that circulated online Tuesday, which Roll signed “really, not respectfully,” shows that her breaking point had to do with how county leadership responded to recent public criticism she faced.
“When you no longer respect those you work for,” she told Leo Lew, the county manager, “it is time to leave. I have watched as you idly stood by when I was attacked. I cannot work for an individual who does not support me. The environment fostered by your team and the Board of Supervisors is toxic.”