The Rev. Tom Smiley has been appointed as chairman of the Hall County Board of Elections. Smiley was appointed in a 4-1 vote by the Hall County Board of Commissioners over the objections of the two Democratic members of the elections board, Kimberly Copeland and Gala Sheats, who wrote a letter opposing Smiley that was read aloud on Thursday. They said his public statements supporting the Republican Party disqualified him “per se” from serving as chairman of the board, which is a nonpartisan position.