Voters may cast their ballots in city council races in Covington and Social Circle, and a liquor store referendum in Porterdale, as early as Tuesday when advance voting begins.
This election cycle, the advance voting period will be from Tuesday, Oct. 12, to Friday, Oct. 29, with polls remaining open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Polls will also be open on two Saturdays — Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 – from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For Covington voters, advance voting will be held at the Newton County Administration Building, located at 1113 Usher St.
Election Day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the City of Covington Courtroom at 2116 Stallings St.
On the ballot, voters will decide who represents East Ward Post 1 and West Ward Post 2 on the Covington City Council.
Incumbent Councilwoman Susie Keck is seeking reelection for East Ward Post 1 against Carla Ferry.
Two political newcomers, Charika Davis and Scotty Scoggins, are vying for West Ward Post 2 — a seat held by longtime Councilwoman Hawnethia Williams, who chose not to seek reelection.
Incumbent Councilman Anthony Henderson is primed to serve another four-year term in West Ward Post 3, as no one qualified to oppose him.
Henderson was first elected to office in 2017 at the age of 21 after defeating Ocie Franklin and Jeffery Johnson. Henderson garnered 57.59% of the vote.
In February, Henderson was accused of violating election laws during the 2017 municipal race. The State Election Board chose to hand over Henderson’s case to the state Attorney General’s Office for criminal prosecution.
According to investigators, Henderson allegedly violated the laws when helping a handful of people register to vote in Covington’s municipal election, despite not being residents of the city. Henderson has not been indicted.
For Social Circle, advance voting will be held at the following locations Oct. 12-29:
• Social Circle Community Room, located at 138 E Hightower Trail.
• Nowell Recreation Center, located at 201 W Spring St. in Monroe
• Meridian Park, located at 105 Generation Blvd. in Loganville
• Rock Gym, located at 135 Main St. Loganville.
Polls will be open throughout the week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as in Covington; however, on Saturdays, Oct. 16 an Oct. 23, polls will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — one hour longer.
Election Day voting will take place at the Social Circle Middle School Activity Center, located at 154 Alcova Dr.
On the ballot, residents will determine who represents District 1 on the Social Circle City Council and vote for or against an Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) for Walton County.
Incumbent Councilwoman Traysa Price is vying for reelection in District 1 against Adolphus Gaither. Both candidates ran for this seat four years ago against a third candidate. Gaither failed to make the runoff, and Price went on to defeat Tim Haney with 52% of the vote.
The council’s District 3 seat and three positions on the Social Circle City Schools Board of Education have already been decided.
Nathan T. Boyd, who was appointed to fill the vacant District 3 seat earlier this year, will serve a full four-year term as he faced no opposition during the qualifying period.
Board of Education Chairman John M. Callahan, District 2 representative Antonio Rico Jackson and District 4 representative Sabrina Reneé Sanford-Flint each qualified to run for reelection and were unopposed.
If voters were to approve, an E-SPLOST would impose a 1-cent sales tax on all retail sales within Walton County to fund certain projects that support local schools. An E-SPLOST can only be enacted by a referendum, which means a majority of all Walton County voters must approve the referendum to receive any sales tax revenue.
No other Newton County municipalities will hold city council elections Nov. 2; however, Porterdale will hold a referendum to decide if liquor stores should be allowed in city.
Porterdale advance voting will also be from Oct. 12-29 with Saturday voting on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Voters may cast an absentee ballot in municipal elections. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 22 — 11 days prior to the election.
