Early voting for the July 31 general primary and non-partisan elections begins the week of July 9 at the County Fairgrounds off Vada Road.
Early voting will continue Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through July 20.

There will be a special Saturday early voting day held on July 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., also at the Fairgrounds.

Advance voting, conducted at the Fairgrounds during the week prior to Election Day, will be held from July 23-27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election Day is July 31, when voting will be conducted at all seven polling places in Decatur County. On that day, registered voters may cast ballots between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

T-SPLOST referendum

There will be a region-wide referendum on the proposed one-cent T-SPLOST sales tax, the proceeds of which would be used for transportation projects and public transit improvements

Decatur County voters will join voters in 13 other counties to decide whether the T-SPLOST sales tax should be collected in the Southwest Georgia region. The proposed tax is regionally-based, so a majority of voters in the region will have to decide in favor of T-SPLOST or in opposition against T-SPLOST.

The counties located within the Southwest Georgia region, for purposes of the proposed tax, include Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Early, Grady, Baker, Calhoun, Terrell, Lee, Dougherty, Mitchell, Worth, Colquitt and Thomas.

Other items

Due to the nature in which primary elections are held in Georgia, registered voters have to select whether they want a ballot with Republican or Democrat candidates. Choosing one ballot or the other is a one-time decision and does not bind a voter to a specific party for future elections, Decatur County Chief of Elections Doris White explained.

Contested races in the July 31 primary include:

• U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District: Republican candidates are John House of Columbus, Ga., Rick Allen of Columbus, and Ken DeLoach of Warner Robins, Ga. The winner of the Republican primary will face incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop of Albany, Ga.

• Sheriff: Wiley Griffin, incumbent (D); Brock Washington, challenger (D)

• County Board of Commissioners, District 3: Charles T. Stafford, incumbent (D); Dennis Brinson, challenger (D)

• County Board of Commissioners, District 5: Russell Smith, incumbent (D); Max Bryant, challenger (D). The winner will face Republican candidate Terry Ellis in November.

• Board of Education, District 1: Kelvin Bouie, Debbie Elkins

• Board of Education, District 3: Winston Rollins (incumbent), George Washington Jr., Michele Miller

• Brinson Council (special election): Herman Hatton, Jesse Powell

For more info

Citizens who want to check their voter registration status, locate where they vote, look at a sample ballot and find out more voting-related information can visit online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page” at www.sos.ga.gov/mvp.

Voters can also call the Decatur County Board of Elections office at (229) 243-2087.