Ware Countians are eager to vote in next month’s General Election.
Early voting opened Monday at 7:30 a.m., and there were people ready to cast a ballot when the door opened at the Ware County Board of Elections Office.
“We opened on time and there were a couple of people right here,” Supervisor of Elections Carlos Nelson, said Monday around noon, adding that “about 160” had voted at the elections office so far. “It’s been pretty brisk and constant all morning
The elections office and Ware County Administration Building, the county’s other site for early voting were full of activity throughout the day. When the first day of voting closed, ??? ballots had been cast at the two locations.
By comparison, 65 people voted the first day of the Primary Election on May 24. A total of 2,102 people voted in person early for the primary.
Early voting for the November 8 election continues at the two locations through Friday, November 4 for the 22,252 registered voters in Ware County. There are ? voting machines at the elections office and ? at the Administration Building.
Two Saturdays, October 22 and 29, also will be available for early voting. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays at both locations.
Absentee ballots can be requested until Friday, October 28 by contacting the board office. Nelson said the office has sent out 597 absentee ballots so far, and already has had some returned.
Absentee ballots will be opened and scanned no sooner than 1 p.m. election day. No tallies will be made before 7 p.m. on election night.
Voters have a number of national and state offices and issues to consider as well as a key local item — a one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
The SPLOST is a joint city-county issue with each benefitting from the one-cent sales tax proceeds based on population from the 2020 Census.
The governments are seeking to share in not more than $55 million on a 60-40 (county-city) basis over the six-year term of the referendum.
Use of SPLOST funds are limited to capital outlay projects such as the building of parks, schools, roads, and other public facilities. It also allows for equipment and vehicles for public safety and public works.
Currently, tax on retail sales in the county is eight cents, but that will decrease a penny on April 1, 2023 when the tax for the local T-SPLOST ends. Should the SPLOST pass next month, it would begin when that T-SPLOST ends March 31.
Waycross and Ware County have been without SPLOST funds since June 30, 2021, when the one passed in 2014 ended. The issue was placed on the ballot in both the 2019 and 2020 municipal elections, but rejected each time.
Other local races have candidates running unopposed. In the legal field, those are Marilyn Bennett for District Attorney in the Waycross Judicial Circuit, and Joseph R. Johnson for Solicitor Generald.
Ware County Commissioners Leonard Burse Jr. and Timothy “Timmy” Lucas have no opposition for their seats.
At the top of the state ballot is the race for governor between incumbent Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams. Kemp defeated Abrams in the 2018 election.
The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Raphael Warnock also is being contested. Former University of Georgia and professional football star Herschel Walker is Warnock’s Republican opposition.
Both have attracted heavy national media interest.
If a runoff is needed for any of the races, it will take place Tuesday, December 6, Nelson said.
He also said the elections board could use help in conducting the election. Ruth McCoy, head of poll workers and training, reported to the board at its last meeting are currently 79 poll workers trained and ready to work. Recommended number for the county is 139, she said.
Poll worker applications are available at the election office.
