Qualifying March 7-11 For Upcoming Elections

Qualifying is underway through March 11 for the May 24 general primary and special election.

All of Georgia’s executive offices and legislative seats, as well as two posts on the Public Service Commission will be on the ballot. Also, one of Georgia’s U. S. Senate posts and all of Georgia’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election.

This means that State Senator Blake Tillery, R-19, Vidalia, and District 156 Representative Leesa Hagan, R-Lyons, whose recently redrawn legislative district now includes Wheeler County, will be among those vying for re-election.

Also on the ballot are elections for seats held by Middle Judicial Circuit Judges Robert S. Reeves and Tommy Smith.

T-SPLOST Special Election

Ballots in Toombs County, Montgomery County and Wheeler County will include a special election regarding a 1% sales tax T-SPLOST for the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional District. Voters will be asked whether they approve or reject the following question: Shall (Toombs, Montgomery or Wheeler continued from page

county’s) transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the state be improved by providing for a 1 percent special district transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of transportation projects and programs for a period of 10 years?

Toombs County

In Toombs County, which was not required to redraw its voting districts following the 2020 Census since there was little change in the voting populations with the five county districts, local races which will be on the ballot include two County Commission seats, the Toombs County Board of Education’s Chairman’s seat, and three Board of Education posts, said Toombs County Elections Supervisor Carey Alligood. The Toombs County Commission District 1 post currently held by Alfred Cason and the County Commission District 3 held by Darriel Nobles will be up for election in 2022. The School Board Chairman’s post currently held by Clint Williams, and the Board’s District 1 seat held by Russell Benton, the District 3 seat held by Mitch Bellflower, and the District 5 seat held by Jonathan Holland, will be on the ballot.

Montgomery County

Montgomery County has five posts open for qualifying: two county commission seats, two Board of Education seats, and Magistrate Judge. Recent redistricting has shifted the boundaries of the county’s five districts, but all incumbent County Commissioners and Board of Education members are eligible for reelection within their districts. County Commission seats for Districts 4 and 5, which represent Ailey and Uvalda, are up for election, and Board of Education seats open for election are in Districts 3 and 5, which is Mount Vernon and Uvalda. Districts 3 and 4 that were previously combined into a singular super district, have now been separated. District 4, Ailey, encompasses the north side of U.S. Highway 280 East to Jeff Lane, which ends at its intersection with Georgia Highway 221. District 3 contains the remaining area of the Ailey-Mount Vernon super district plus a few new roads. Meanwhile, District 5 in Uvalda now includes the entire city of Alston.

Currently, Commissioner Clarence Thomas is incumbent for District 4, and Commission Chairman Leland Adams is incumbent for District 5. Debra Gay holds the District 3 Board of Education seat while School Board Chairman Jim Paul Poole holds the seat for District 5. Judge Ashley Thornton serves as Magistrate Judge in the current term.

All citizens impacted by the redistricting will receive a new voter’s registration card. For questions about redistricting or qualifying, contact the Montgomery County Registrar at (912) 583-4296.

Wheeler County

In Wheeler County, both the County Commission and School Board Districts were redrawn following the 2020 census owing to some minimal population shifts, but no new districts were created, as was the case in Montgomery County. Wheeler County Supervisor of Elections Sheila Cheek said the seats up for election in the May 24 primary include two of the county’s seven School Board posts: District 1 representative Catherine Wilson’s position and District 5 representative L.W. Kent, Jr.’s post.

Also, for the first time, Wheeler County voters will be deciding the District 156 state House representative rather than the District 149 representative. The 2020 census reconfigured the boundaries of Districts 149 and 156. Following the 2022 election, District 149 Representative Robert Pruitt, REastman, will be replaced by the District 156 representative. The District 156 seat is currently held by Leesa Hagan, R-Lyons.

There are no changes in Toombs, Montgomery and Wheeler counties for Blake Tillery’s District 19 area of representation.

The schedule for 2022 elections is: May 24, General Primary and Special Election; June 21, Primary Runoff; November 8, General Election; December 6, runoffs for those races that are not decided by a majority vote.

All persons who are not registered to vote and who desire to vote in the General Primary/Special Election on May 24, may register through April 25. Advance voting will be held May 2-20.

The last day to submit absentee ballot applications for the May 24 election is May 13. All Georgia voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot.