Qualifications begin in March

Three commission seats and four school board seats are coming up on the ballot for 2018.

The short break between getting back to the polls is coming to a close in Polk County with local and state elections coming up for primaries in May and the general election in November.

Which means that in a few short weeks, qualifying will begin at the Polk County Board of Elections for several seats, and also at the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

The campaign season will soon be underway with the qualifying period for candidates to get on the ballot in County Commission and Board of Education seats set for March 5 through March 9, with candidates able to come in and pay fees during regular business hours at Polk County’s elections office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Thursday. Qualifying ends on March 9 at 12 p.m.

Candidates will need to pay $144 to get on the ballot if they wish to take part in the elections for a trio of Commissioners seats in all three districts. This year, District 1’s seat held by Jose Iglesias will be up for a vote, along with the District 2 seat held by Commission Chair Jennifer Hulsey, and District 3 held by Commissioner Marshelle Thaxton.

Additionally, a special election will be held on the November ballot for the seat held in District 3 by Hal Floyd, according to Polk County Elections Di- rector Karen Garmon.

Qualifying for the special election will be held Aug. 20 through Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first two days and to end by noon on Aug. 22.

School board seats on the ballot this year include the District 1 seat held by Jane Hamlett, the District 2 seat held by board vice chair Bernard Morgan, the District 4 seat held by Grady McCrickard and the District 7 seat held by board chair Tommy Sanders.

The qualifying fee for school board seats is $95.

The trio of commission seats and four school board seats will be joined this year by state campaigns for office including the State House District 16 seat held by Trey Kelley, the State Senate District 31 seat held by Bill Heath, and additional statewide offices for a number of constitutional offices including Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of State, State Superintendent, Lieutenant Governor and Governor. Superior Court positions are also up this election cycle.

Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Court Judge Meng Lim has already an- nounced that he would run for a second term as judge in office for the local circuit back in December.

Those who wish to make sure they are registered to vote to take part in the primaries — and the November election as well — have until April 24 to get in their information to the Board of Elections office to take part in the first round of voting.

Voter registration will continue through October 9 for the general election this fall. Garmon said early voting will begin on April 30 and continue through May 18 ahead of the May 22 primary. Voters can come to the Board of Elections office in Cedartown or the Nathan Dean Community Center off Goodyear Street in Rockmart to vote in person, or can request a absentee ballot by mail from the Board of Elections. Early voting locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, she said a mandatory Saturday voting period will be held on May 12 in both Cedartown and Rockmart from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The polls will open on May 22 for primary day at all seven of Polk County’s precincts at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m.

This year provides one new change for elections officials: a move back to the Aragon Community Center for locals to cast ballots.

Garmon said the office already has made arrangements with the city to use the community center and move elections away from city hall, where interruptions from court days and limited parking made voting at the Brenda Gazaway Municipal Complex sometimes difficult.

Now at the community center, Ara- gon’s precinct move also gives votes more room to drive in to the Baptist church parking lot, walk across the street and cast a ballot.

“I think it will be better for everyone involved,” Garmon said. “Once people get used to the change, it will make the process run much more smoothly than before.”

Additional information will be forthcoming about early voting and regular voting in Polk County, but early voting will begin on Oct. 15 for Election day on Nov. 6.

There will be a mandatory Saturday voting day ahead of the 2018 election as well.

For more information about how to qualify as a candidate, to register to vote and more contact the Board of Elections office at 770-749-2103.