Big turnout for Early Voting: SPLOST renewal, District 1 County Commission on ballots
Reflecting the statewide trend, local turnout has been excellent for Early Voting in the November General Election, said Dawn Arnold, Cook County Supervisor of Elections and Registrations.
As of early this week, approximately 2,000 Cook Countians had cast ballots in in-person Early Voting. Two hundred twenty-one (221) ballots had been returned so far in absentee voting by mail. Cook County has a total of 10,082 active registered voters.
In accordance with Georgia law, Cook County offered Early Voting for the past two Saturdays at the County Administration Building.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Georgia voters continued showing high turnout over the last weekend of Early Voting. As of Monday morning, Georgia continued to break records with 1,505,447 voters casting their ballot during Early Voting, with 115,819 showing up to the polls throughout the weekend. Georgia has had record Early Voting turnout since the first day of Early Voting this year, surging to nearly twice the number on the first day of Early Voting in 2018.
“We encourage every eligible voter to get their ballot in this week. Most counties have multiple early voting locations open to serve the demand,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “It doesn’t matter when you cast your vote, it only matters that you do cast your vote. Take advantage of the flexibility offered during the last week of Early Voting.”
The County Election Office will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for Early Voting, Ms. Arnold said. After Friday, voters will have to go to their designated polling places in the county to vote in-person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday.
Per Georgia law, Friday, Oct. 28, was the last day to submit an absentee ballot application for the November General Election.
A “yes” or “no” vote for renewal of the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot. The SPLOST would be imposed for a period of six years for the raising of approximately $17.5 million to fund capital outlay projects in the County and local municipalities. The projects would include: (1) County public facilities and equipment, fire and rescue facilities and equipment, solid waste handling facility and equipment, vehicles for public safety and other county departments and debt service, E-911 communications equipment and infrastructure, recreation facility and equipment, capital outlay and debt service projects for Economic Development, Adel-Cook County Airport, and debt service; (2) road, streets and bridge projects, water, sewer and natural gas capital outlay, general capital and debt service for the City of Adel; (3) public water, sewer and natural gas capital outlay, road, streets and bridge projects and equipment, recreational facility capital outlay, and general capital outlay for the Town of Sparks; (4) road and street projects and equipment, improvements to equipment and infrastructure for Fire Department, and general capital outlay for the Town of Lenox; and (5) road and street projects including equipment, and general capital outlay for the Town of Cecil.
The only contested election for local offices on Nov. 8 will be for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1. Debra Robinson is running for re-election as a Democrat. She is opposed by Brian Harrell, who qualified to run as an Independent candidate.
Contested state and federal offices on the ballot include:
• United States Senate – Herschel Junior Walker, Republican; Raphael Warnock, (Incumbent) Democrat; Chase Oliver, Libertarian.
• Governor – Brian Kemp, (Incumbent) Republican; Stacey Abrams, Democrat; Shane Hazel, Libertarian.
• Lieutenant Governor – Burt Jones, Republican; Charlie Bailey, Democrat; Ryan Graham, Libertarian.
• Secretary of State – Brad Raffensperger, (Incumbent) Republican; Bee Nguyen, Democrat; Ted Metz, Libertarian.
• Attorney General – Chris Carr, (Incumbent) Republican; Jennifer “Jen” Jordan, Democrat; and Martin Cowen, Libertarian.
• Commissioner of Agriculture – Tyler Harper, Republican; Nakita Hemingway, Democrat; David Raudabaugh, Libertarian.
• Commissioner of Insurance – John King, (Incumbent) Republican; Janice Laws Robinson, Democrat.
• State School Superintendent – Richard Woods, (Incumbent) Republican; Alisha Thomas Searcy, Democrat.
• Commissioner of Labor – Bruce Thompson, Republican; William “Will” Boddie, Jr., Democrat; Emily Anderson, Libertarian.
• United States House of Representatives, District 8 – Austin Scott, (Incumbent) Republican; Darrius Butler, Democrat.
Sample Ballots can be viewed at the Cook County Administration Building and online by logging in to “Georgia My Voter Page” or by downloading the “GA SOS” app.
If you have any questions, please contact the Cook County Board of Elections and Registrations Office at (229) 896-7925 or cookelections@windstream.net.
