Q&A on the News

Q: Is it possible to register to vote without affiliating with a party? —SANDRA MCCALLUM, STONE MOUNTAIN

A: You do not need to affiliate with a party when registering to vote in Georgia, Candice Broce, press secretary for the Secretary of State’s office, told Q&A on the News in an email.

“The law does not require an applicant to list any political affiliation when he or she registers to vote,” Broce wrote. “The voter registration form does not ask for it at all.”

Georgia uses an open primary system in which any voter may participate regardless of political affiliation, but citizens have to choose one party’s ballot when voting.

A list of the requirements for voting and a downloadable registration form are available on the Secretary of State’s website (sos.ga.gov).

Do health inspectors show up unannounced to observe back-of-house operations? How do they get access to kitchens, which are typically not accessible to the general public?

—HAROLD MORDT, ACWORTH

According to Georgia law, if food service establishments don’t allow the inspectors in, they could lose their permit to operate. Health inspectors do not call ahead, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Q&A on the News runs Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).