Early voting starts Monday

Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·2 min read

Apr. 24—Early voting for Georgia's general primary and nonpartisan elections starts Monday.

In the Democratic Party primary in Whitfield County, incumbent Scott Chitwood is unopposed for sheriff and Susie Brown is unopposed for coroner.

In the Whitfield County Republican Party primary:

—Incumbent Jevin Jensen faces David Renz for chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

—Incumbent Robby Staten faces Christian Phillips for the District 2 seat on the Board of Commissioners.

—Incumbent Greg Jones is unopposed for the District 4 seat on the Board of Commissioners.

—Darren Pierce, Travis Presley, Glenn Swinney, Glenn Tate and Frank Torres are vying for the GOP nomination for sheriff.

—Incumbent Clyde McDaniel faces Colt Helton for coroner.

—Incumbent Babs Bailey is unopposed for clerk of Superior Court.

—Incumbent Danny Sane is unopposed for tax commissioner.

—Incumbent Sheri Blevins is unopposed for judge of Probate Court.

—Ricky Robertson is unopposed for the District 1 seat on the Board of Education.

—Incumbent Carolyn Weaver is unopposed for the District 3 seat on the Board of Education

In nonpartisan races:

—Chief Magistrate Judge Chris Griffin faces challenger Julia Nguyen-Goulart.

—Scotty Martin and Wallace Johnson are vying for the Magistrate Court judgeship currently held by Gayle Gazaway, who is retiring.

—Magistrate judges Tom Phillips and Rod Weaver are running unopposed for reelection.

Early voting will take place on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, May 17, in the elections office in the county courthouse, 205 N. Selvidge St. in Dalton. There will be extended hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 16. Early voting will also take place on Saturday, May 4, and Saturday, May 11, at the courthouse from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Primary Day is Tuesday, May 21.

Voters must provide a valid photo ID whether voting that day or in advance.

Georgia law requires employers to give workers two hours off to vote either during early voting or on Election (Primary) Day unless their shift begins two hours after polls open or ends two hours before they close.

Absentee ballots can be requested through Friday, May 10. Voters do not need an excuse to apply for an absentee ballot. An absentee ballot can be requested by email, in person at the elections office or online. To find out how to request an absentee ballot, go to https://georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot.

To request an absentee ballot, you will need to provide your address and date of birth and one of the following:

—The number for your driver's license or free state ID.

—The last four digits of your Social Security number.

—A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address.