It’s very fitting that early voting for the Presidential Preference Primary started today since, after all, it’s President’s Day. Early voting began at 8 a.m. and was off to a slow start. By 9:30 a.m., only seven people had voted at the only location in Habersham County for early voting.
The new Habersham County Elections and Voter Registration Office, also known as the Habersham South Precinct, opened today for its first day of operation in the old Sears building in Cornelia. The facility was ready for early voters with 30 voting machines set up in anticipation of a large turnout over the next two weeks of early and advance voting.
Mark Willis and his wife Ana Celina from Demorest voted at the Cornelia location early Monday morning. Willis liked the new voting precinct. “It looks great,” he stated. They both stated that voting went “very smoothly.”
The Willises have traditionally voted early at the aquatic center in Clarkesville. He likes the new location better because it is less cluttered. He explains that, given the space restrictions at the aquatic center and the layout, the elections office did the best they could within those restrictions. He likes that the new facility is bigger and allows more room for voters.
Aquatic Center
In years past, the aquatic center in Clarkesville was the primary location for early voting. This year it has moved to the new location in Cornelia. The aquatic center had signs double posted at each entrance and inside on the doors of the normal voting location informing voters of the change. The signs also state when the aquatic center location will be used for advance voting.
One voter, who wished to remain unnamed, came to the aquatic center to vote early. She was unaware of the change in early voting location. Upon reading the signs, she stated, “I will come back during the advance voting.”
Impacts
The impact for voters in the north end of the county will be having to drive to Cornelia to vote early or wait until advance voting begins at the aquatic center on March 2.
Another impact will be for those wishing to drop off absentee ballots in the drop box. The county only has one ballot drop box, and it is located at the Cornelia location. According to Elections Supervisor Laurel Ellison, the county does not meet the threshold to have more than one ballot drop box.
According to OCGA 21-2-382(c)(1), it states “A board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk may establish additional drop boxes, subject to the limitations of this Code section, but may only establish additional drop boxes totaling the lesser of either one drop box for every 100,000 active registered voters in the county or the number of advance voting locations in the county.”
Early/Advance voting
Early and advance voting will be ongoing until March 8.
Early voting weeks at the Cornelia location will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 19 to March 1. Advance voting week will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 4-8. Saturday voting there will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 24 and March 2. The Cornelia location is located at 403 Habersham County Shopping Center in Cornelia.
Advance voting week at the Habersham North Precinct at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville will be held from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 4-8. Saturday voting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 2. The Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center is located at 120 Paul Franklin Rd, Toccoa Highway in Clarkesville.
The last opportunity voters will have to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary will be on Election Day, Tuesday, March 12.
