Crisp County judge, ending a month-long dispute over the Commissioner-at-large race. The lawsuit was filed by Joshua Deriso, who lost his re-election bid to Joe Joe Wright in the December 2nd runoff. Deriso alleged irregularities at the polls, including claims of vote buying and electioneering within 200 feet of polling locations. “There were a lot of people who were paid what we asserted in the complaint, $15 to go and vote for particular candidates,” Deriso said. “There was a poll worker who was telling people not to vote for me. And Royce Reeves was bringing people to vote and telling people to vote for himself and Joe Joe Wright within 150 feet.” The judge never ruled on those claims. Instead, the case was dismissed on a technicality. Election results were certified on December 5th. Under Georgia law, Deriso had five days to file his challenge and that deadline included weekends. The petition was filed December 11th — one day too late. In his order filed Thursday, Judge McCorvey wrote that the court “is without jurisdiction to decide the merits of the election contest” because the petition was untimely. “I can disagree with it being a day late on filing,” Deriso said. “We still
