Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. for primary, nonpartisan elections

Alan Mauldin, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

ALBANY – Tuesday is the day voters will get to weigh in on their local elected officials, with a number of contested elections on the ballot across the area.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. in elections that include a countywide race for sheriff and school board District V in Lee County. Lee County’s Republican voters also will weigh in on a non-binding ballot question for a homestead exemption on school taxes for individuals older than 65.

In Dougherty County, contests for sheriff, Superior Court judge, district attorney, District 5 county commission and school board seats as well as Georgia House District 153 are among the choices on the ballot.

“We’re ready to go,” Lee County Elections Supervisor Veronica Johnson said.

With low turnout during the early voting period ahead of the election, Johnson was unsure how many will show up at the county’s 10 precincts on Election Day.

“I don’t know if people are going to wait and show up on Tuesday or there’s just not a lot of interest,” she said.”We were ready for a good turnout for this election, but it’s been very flat.”

Lee County ballots will include a Republican primary for sheriff, with incumbent Reggie D. Rachals and challenger Dean F. Gore on the ballot. In the nonpartisan District V school board race incumbent Fran Walls faces challenger Mary Egler.

The non-binding question on the ballot reads:

“Shall an Act be approved which provides an additional homestead exemption from Lee County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in the amount of $150,000 of the assessed value of the homestead for residents of that school district who are 65 years of age or over?”

“I just encourage people to come out and vote Tuesday,” Johnson said.

Voters can check the races in which they are eligible to vote at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ and make their decisions ahead of time.

“People can print out a sample ballot and mark them so they know how to vote for each question,” Johnson said.

Dougherty County’s Democratic primaries include the following races:

— School Board District 5: James C. Bush, incumbent, and Wanda M. Mallard.

— County Commission District 5: Gloria Gaines, incumbent, and Thomia Tonya Thomas.

— Sheriff: Keithen Hall and Terron Hayes.

— District Attorney: Gregory W. Edwards, incumbent, and Elizabeth Gibson.

Three candidates are qualified in the nonpartisan race for a Superior Court seat. Those candidates are Valerie Brown-Williams, Victoria Matu Johnson and Michael Tabarrok. In Georgia House District 151, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office has ruled that Othellius Cato is ineligible due to his not being a resident of the district.

Cato’s name will be on the ballot, but signage has been placed at the precincts that will note that votes cast for him will not be considered.