EDITORIAL: Early voting: Get it done

Published 8:57 am Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Editorial

Early voting began Monday across Georgia as we inch closer to the primary and non-partisan elections.

Locally, voters have the option to go ahead and cast their ballots at the registrar’s office located in the county government complex at 1601 N. Columbia St.

Voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There are also two Saturday options, May 4 and 11 between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Please go vote. This isn’t just a presidential primary.

Local voters in county Districts 4 and 5 will also choose county commissioners, and voters in District 3 will choose their next school board representative. While there are several uncontested local races, there are others that have yet to be decided. There are primary races for state office as well. State Sen. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville), who represents District 25 in the Georgia Senate, is opposed by Leland Jake Olmger in the Republican primary. In the race for state representative, there is a democratic primary for House District 149 as Floyd L. Griffin Jr. and Phyllis Tufts Hightower are vying for the chance to face Republican Ken Vance in November. In the race for U.S. Congress, Darrius Butler and Vince Watkins are on the ballot to determine who will face incumbent Austin Scott in November.

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Don’t sit this election out and wait until November. Every election is important.

Don’t forget also that absentee ballots are an available option and please get your ballots in early to ensure that they arrive on time.

Remember that photo identification is required and may include a Georgia Driver’s License (even if expired), a state or federal-issued ID, a valid U.S. passport, a valid military photo ID or a valid tribal ID.

Early voting is a convenient way to take part in the democratic process. This period was created to make the election process more accessible for the electorate by not limiting the voting option to just one day.

Don’t let this key local race get lost in the shadows of the presidential primary.