MORE COVERAGE

Local contested races

♦ County Commission Post 3: Democrat Shonna Bailey is challenging incumbent Republican Allison Watters.

♦ County Commission Post 4: Democrat Charles Smith is challenging incumbent Republican Wright Bagby Jr.

♦ Clerk of Superior Court: Democrat Moriah Medina is challenging incumbent Republican Barbara Penson.

State contested races

♦ State House District 12: Democrat Jonathan Gilreath-harvey is challenging incumbent Republican Eddie Lumsden.

♦ State Senate District 52: Democrat Charles de Young is challenging incumbent Republican Chuck Hufstetler.

♦ Public Service Commissioner: Democrat Robert Bryant and Libertarian Elizabeth Melton are challenging incumbent Republican Jason Shaw.

♦ Public Service Commissioner: Democrat Daniel Blackman and Libertarian Nathan Wilson are challenging incumbent Republican Lauren Bubba Mcdonald, Jr.

Federal contested races

♦ President: Democrat Joe Biden and Libertarian Jo Jorgensen are challenging incumbent Republican Donald Trump.

♦ U.S. Senate: Democrat John Ossoff and Libertarian Shane Hazel are challenging incumbent Republican David Perdue.

♦ U.S. Senate: 19 challengers look to unseat Republican Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to fill the seat by Gov. Brian Kemp. Among those who are polling the highest are Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Doug Collins.

Voting early and absentee

Voters can apply for absentee ballots through Oct. 30 on the secretary of state’s website Securevotega.com. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

While poll workers can open and scan absentee ballots prior to Election Day on Nov. 3, absentee ballots won’t officially be tallied until after the polls close on election night.

To track your absentee ballot, go to https://georgia.ballottrax.net/voter/. That website will show whether or not you have requested an absentee ballot, when it is sent and when the ballot is received by elections officials.

Once you receive your ballot and fill it out, you can either mail it to the elections office at 12 E. Fourth Ave. using the United States Postal Service or drop it off at one of the two ballot boxes — outside the elections office and the Rome-floyd County Library at 205 Riverside Parkway.

In-person voting starts on Oct. 12 and runs through Oct. 30. Voters can cast their ballots at either the Floyd County Administration Building Community Room at 12 E. Fourth Ave. or Garden Lakes Baptist Church at 2200 Redmond Circle, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week.

For the week of Oct. 19-23, the Floyd County Health Department located at 16 E. 12th St. will also be available for voters. For the week of Oct. 26-30, the Rome Civic Center at 400 Civic Center Drive will be open for early voting.

The county administration building and Garden Lakes Baptist Church also will be available to voters the weekends of Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 2425.

The county administration building will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The Garden Lakes early voting location, will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, it will open at 1 p.m. and close at 4 p.m.