July 31 will be a pivotal date for those running in contested primary elections in Coweta and Fayette counties, along with issues such as the regional transportation (TSPLOST) referendum, but anyone wanting to beat the crowds at the polling place can take advantage of early voting that begins July 9 and runs through July 27.
The hours for early voting in Coweta County from July 9-27 are Monday – Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the county voter registration office located at 22 East Broad Street in Newnan. Early voting will also be an option on two Saturdays, July 14 from 9 a.m. – noon and on July 21 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Early voting in Fayette County also starts Monday, July 9 at the elections office in downtown Fayetteville on the second floor of the Stonewall government complex. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday through July 27.
The primary election will be held July 31 and, if needed, the runoff election will be held Aug. 21.
So what races and issues will Coweta voters, early or otherwise, find on the July 31 ballot?
The District 71 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives will be up for grabs, as will the District 3 Congressional seat. Voters will also select a Coweta County Superior Court judge and the county surveyor.
And then there are the referendums. The big one in Coweta is the regional TSPLOST vote than includes all the counties in the 10-county Three Rivers Regional Commission area.
Another countywide issue involves alcohol package sales on Sunday and Sunday sales by the glass in unincorporated areas of Coweta County. Grantville voters will also consider similar measures. And Moreland voters will decide on amending the charter to stagger the four-year terms of the mayor and aldermen.
Republican and Democratic voters in both Coweta and Fayette will also have their say on a number of party-specific questions.
Democrats will answer questions on allowing the state to override locally-elected school board’s decisions on the creation of charter schools, end unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators, adopt an income tax credit for home energy costs, reduce the tax on “Made in Georgia” products, enact county legislation to bring rapid rail to Coweta, enact legislation to prevent discrimination in employment, enact legislation to provide healthcare to all Georgia citizens and provide countywide trash collection service.
Republicans on their ballot will answer questions on Georgia having gambling casinos with funds going to education, ending unlimited gifts from lobbyists by capping those gifts at $100, allowing active duty military members under age 21 to obtain a state weapon’s license, requiring citizens wanting to vote in a primary election to register their party affiliation at least 30 days prior to the primary and asking if the Georgia Constitution should be amended to provide the right to life from the earliest biological beginning.
For more information on the Coweta County primary call 678-854-0015 or visit the Board of Elections page at www.coweta.ga.us.
The Fayette County Board of Elections has posted sample ballots which are available at the county’s web page at www.fayettecountyga.gov.
Voters who have questions about which races they will be voting for, or where their polling place is, may consult the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at sos.georgia.gov/mvp.
