Monday, Oct. 25 marks the beginning of advance voting in Habersham County after early voting wrapped up on Oct. 23. This is the last week for voters to cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 2 municipal election in the county.
Georgia has seen low early voting numbers in this year’s municipal elections, and numbers in Habersham align with state-wide trends. In Habersham, the county elections office counted a total of 580 in-person early votes and 98 absentee ballots.
The contrast between last year’s voting stats in the county and this year’s is strong, with the first week of early voting in 2020 drawing more than 1,000 votes. After two weeks of early voting in 2021, the ballots total to be a little more than half of that number.
The 2021 municipal elections for Habersham include elections for city council seats in Alto, Baldwin, Clarkesville, Cornelia, Demorest, Mt. Airy, Tallulah Falls and the District 5 Habersham County Commissioner.
“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.”
RELATED: List of qualifying candidates for the 2021 Habersham County municipal elections
Advance voting will be held at the Aquatic Center from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 25 through 29. For those who need to turn in absentee ballots, the dropbox is located inside the Habersham County Elections & Voter Registration Office in the basement of the county administration building in Clarkesville.
