Former Demorest Fire Chief Ken Ranalli has joined the race to become that city’s next mayor. Ranalli, who resigned as chief in June after months of mounting pressure from the city manager and certain council members, qualified to run for the city’s top post on Friday.
Former Demorest city council member Jerry Harkness is also running for mayor.
Ranalli was one of nine candidates who qualified to run in Habersham County’s local elections on the last day of qualifying, which ended at noon Friday. Three candidates qualified to run for two open city council seats in Tallulah Falls. (That city’s local elections are run by Rabun County).
Nearly half of the 29 candidates who qualified in Habersham are incumbents and many of them are unopposed.
Lack of opposition in Baldwin means voters there will not have to go to the polls in November. Mayor Joe Elam and Post 4 and 5 council members Maarten and Alice Venter, who are husband and wife, will keep their seats.
Countywide, voters will choose from among four candidates to determine who will take the vacant District 5 seat on the county board of commissioners. Mike Adams and Locke Arnold have both run previously. Ty Akins and Jason Eric Hogan are also vying to fill the unexpired term of Tim Stamey who resigned in April.
Here’s who’s running:
Town of Alto
Council Post 1:
Carolyn Cabe (Incumbent)
Turner Griffith
Council Post 3:
Allen Fox (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
P.J. Huggins
City of Baldwin
Mayor:
Joe Elam (Incumbent)
Council Post 4:
Maarten Venter (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
Alice Lindsay Venter (Incumbent)
City of Clarkesville
Mayor:
Barrie C. Aycock (Incumbent)
Council Post 1:
Lindsay Claire Sloan
Angelia S. Kiker
Council Post 4:
Franklin Brown (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
Steven Ward (Incumbent)
City of Cornelia
Commission Ward 2:
Janice Griggs (Incumbent)
Commission Ward 3:
John Ballard
Don Bagwell (Incumbent)
City of Demorest
Mayor:
Jerry Harkness
Kenneth Ranalli
Council Member (2 at-large seats):
Lawrence G. Bridges
Shawn Allen (Incumbent)
Jim Welborn (Incumbent)
Roy Andrew Ferguson
Tallulah Falls
Council Member (2 at-large seats)
Scott Augustine
Robert Keeler
Tom Tilley
Town of Mount Airy
Mayor:
Ray McAllister
Council Member (2 at-large seats):
Patrick Ledford (Incumbent)
Ken Moore
Paula Kimbrell
SPECIAL ELECTION – Habersham County Commission District 5:
Ty Akins
Locke Arnold
Jason Eric Hogan
Mike Adams
Important voter information
This is the first local election since Georgia lawmakers passed the state’s controversial new voting law. Here are important dates to remember regarding the November 2, 2021, election:
- August 16 is the first day to submit an absentee ballot application.
NOTE: Under Georgia’s new voting law, you may submit an absentee ballot application no earlier than 78 days and no later than 11 days prior to the election. Previously, a voter could ask for their ballot as early as 180 days before an election and as late as the Friday before Election Day. Click here to download the new absentee application form or contact the county registrar at 706-839-0170 for more information on obtaining an absentee ballot. - October 4 is the last day to register to vote.
- Absentee ballots will be available beginning October 12.
- Early Voting will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. October 12-22 at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville
- October 22 is the last day to submit an absentee ballot application.
- Saturday Voting will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on October 16 and 23 at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville.
- Advance Voting at the Habersham North Precinct (Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville) from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. October 25-29.
- All Habersham County and municipal voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day, November 2, 2021.
To register to vote, visit the Office of Elections and Registration in person or visit My Voter Page online.
This article has been updated to reflect that the Habersham South Precinct will not be open for early/advanced voting. The precinct has been temporarily moved to the Cornelia Community House and will only be open on election day, November 2, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
