Early voting now open in Middle GA for primary elections. What’s on the ballot?
Polls opened Monday for early voting in Georgia’s primary elections.
Middle Georgia voters can participate in early voting from now until May 15. Election Day is slated for May 19.
Voters across the state will have a chance to vote on two justice seats for the Supreme Court of Georgia and two seats for judges on the Court of Appeals. Justice Ben Land and Appellate judges Sara Doyl, David Todd Markle, and J. Wade Padgett are running uncontested.
Democrat and Republican voters will select a party representative in races for the U.S. Senate, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Senate, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Labor, several Public Service Commissioner seats and several House of Representatives seats.
Voters can access their sample ballots on the Secretary of State’s website at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov to prepare for the voting booth.
Here’s what’s on the ballot locally and where you can vote:
Bibb County
Races and candidates on the ballot in the Macon area include:
- Macon Water Authority At-Large: Gary Bechtel (incumbent), Desmond Brown
- MWA District 2: Ron Lemon, Sharif Robbins-Brinson, Renoalda Scott, Marshall Talley
- MWA District 4: Michael McKeever, Frank K. Patterson Jr. (incumbent), De’Ron Rogers
- Bibb County Board of Education Post 7: Kerry Hatcher, Amy Morton
- BOE Post 8: Jonathan Fisher, Lisa Garrett-Boyd (incumbent), Carlos McCloud, Nola McFadden.
Early voting is available at the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections office at the Macon Mall on 3661 Eisenhower Parkway; the Elaine H. Lucas Senior Center on 132 Willie Smokie Glover Dr.; or the Theron Ussery Park Recreation Center on 815 N. Macon Park Dr.
All locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Weekend voting also is available. Polls at the three early voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 2 and 9. The elections office at the Macon Mall will be open for voters from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 3.
Houston County
Three board of education seats are the only contested races in Houston County:
- BOE Post 2: Courtney Driver, Lori Johnson (incumbent)
- BOE Post 4: Sheila Ashley, Jonathan Nichols
- BOE Post 6: Mark Ivory (incumbent), Andy Thomas
All voters will be asked if a 1% sales and use tax should be imposed for five years in Houston County, the proceeds of which will be used to “reduce property taxes imposed by Houston County and the municipalities of Warner Robins, Perry, and Centerville.”
Voters wanting to cast an early ballot can go to the Board of Elections office at 2030 Kings Chapel Rd.; Houston Health Pavilion Conference Center at 233 N. Houston Rd.; Central Georgia Tech’s Health Sciences Building at 71 Cohen Walker Dr.; and the North Houston Sports Complex at 900 N. Houston Rd.
Polling locations will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 and 9.
How to request absentee ballots
Voters have until May 8 to request an absentee ballot. To request an absentee ballot, voters must visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov and submit an absentee ballot application.
They can submit the application in person, by email or by mail to the county’s board of elections office.
