It’s been a slow start to early voting in municipal elections across Georgia, and Habersham County is no exception. In the first week of early voting, 185 ballots were cast in the county, says Habersham elections supervisor Laurel Ellison. Election officials issued 38 absentee ballots but none had been returned as of Saturday, Oct. 16.
Those figures are in stark contrast to 2020 when the presidential election drew more than 1,000 early voters in Habersham the first week polls opened.
RELATED: Early voting for Habersham municipal general and special elections begins
Low voter turnout during municipal elections is not unusual but could be considered shortsighted given the influence that local officials have on how cities and counties operate and how local taxes are levied.
“Right now, there’s been very low voter turnout; [it’s] almost understandable, but at the same time, it’s not,” Habersham County Commissioner Bruce Palmer said at the commission’s Oct. 18 meeting. “This is how to make your voice heard. Get out and vote.”
This year, 32 candidates qualified to run for 21 open seats in Habersham — ten of those candidates are running unopposed.
Demorest City Council candidate Lawrence Bridges has dropped out of the race but that still leaves 21 candidates vying for eleven local government jobs. This election cycle, voters will determine who becomes the next mayor of Demorest, who will serve on the city councils in six of Habersham’s seven cities, and who will become the county’s next District 5 commissioner.
Early voting continues
Early voting continues at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 22.
Saturday voting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 23.
Advance voting will be held at the Aquatic Center from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 25 through 29.
The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, Oct. 22. The dropbox for absentee by-mail ballots is located inside the Habersham County Elections & Voter Registration Office in the basement of the county administration building in Clarkesville.
All Habersham County and municipal voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day, Nov. 2. For a list of those precincts, click here.
MORE:
- Habersham South Precinct moving to temporary location
- Slow start to early voting lets counties ease into new election law rules
