As voters across Georgia prepare to cast ballots during early voting for the November General Election, local election’s offices are addressing recent rule changes from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Early voting will begin on Monday, October 15. However, the rule change will affect election offices on November 5.
Recent election changes
The Elections Division of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office recently announced changes that local elections offices will have to adhere to for the November general election, such as hand counting ballots.
Habersham County Elections Supervisor Laurel Ellison said that her office is preparing for those changes but have not finalized their procedures. “It (the changes) will cause us to have to modify our procedures at the precincts on election night to accommodate the newly amended rule, but we have not made a final decision on what that will look like yet,” she said.
Ellison explains that the recent rule change may require more poll workers and additional costs. “We may hire three (3) extra poll workers that will come in at 7 p.m. at each precinct, solely to count ballots or we will have runners to pick up memory cards at each precinct and bring them back to the office (while poll workers are counting ballots), in order to try not to delay the reporting of election results. It will mostly cost the county more money to hire extra people to accommodate the new procedure,” she said.
She said that the recent rule change will not affect voters. “It will not affect the voter at all but could possibly create a longer day for poll workers. And I am not sure if It will delay the results since we have never had to do this before,” Ellison said.
Voting locations
Early voting for Habersham County voters will be held at the South Precinct at the Habersham County Elections and Voter Registration Office at 403 Habersham County Shopping Center in Cornelia.
Early Voting Weeks: October 15 through October 25 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5p.m.
Saturday Voting: October 19 and October 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Advance Voting Week: October 28 through November 1, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Habersham North Precinct will not offer Early Voting but will offer Saturday and Advance Voting. The Habersham North Precinct is located in the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center at 120 Paul Franklin Road in Clarkesville
Saturday Voting: October 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Advance Voting Week: October 28 through November 1, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Baldwin and Alto voters that live in Banks County will vote at the Banks County Elections and Voter Registration Office located at 226 Candler Street in Homer.
For the Baldwin City Council Special Election, Baldwin voters that live in Banks County will vote in Banks County. Baldwin voters that live in Habersham County will vote at the Habersham South Precinct, according to Ellison.
All six precincts in Habersham County will be open on election day, Tuesday, November 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sample ballots
Habersham County ballots are based on which State House District or a Special Election a voter’s precinct is located. Absentee ballots will be available by mail beginning Monday, October 7 and will continue through Friday, October 25. Sample ballots can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
The last day to register to vote is Monday, October 7. Those wishing to register to vote in the November General Election may do so online through the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at My Voter Page.
Voters that have questions related to the upcoming election may contact the Habersham County Elections and Voter Registration Office at 706-839-0170.
