With the general election less than a month away, Dawson County voters will soon have the chance to vote for local seats all the way to highly-anticipated state and federal ones like the races for governor and U.S. Senate.
This guide provides key dates and district changes, how to vote and an overall idea of what to expect when looking at your ballot.
Things to know
Following the 2020 U.S. Census, district maps changed across the state in areas including Dawson County.
Now, Dawson residents will be able to vote for candidates in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives.
District 6 now encompasses all of Forsyth and Dawson counties and parts of Cherokee, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
With the race for state house representative, Dawson voters in the county’s eastern and central districts can vote for the District 9 seat.
People in Dawson County’s western precinct can vote for the District 7 seat.
Check your districts and voting status at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voting Page.
Early voting
When:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Oct. 17 through Nov. 4
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Oct.22 and 29
Where:
Central Precinct/Board of Elections office, located at 96 Academy Avenue in Dawsonville
Note: October 22 is the Saturday of the Mountain Moonshine Festival.
Election day
When:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 8
Where: Your polling precinct
Eastern precinct: Fire Station no. 2 at 145 Liberty Drive (next to Tractor Supply)
Central precinct: Board of Elections office at 96 Academy Avenue
Western precinct: Fire Station no. 6 at 2142 Hubbard Road
Tips:
Review a sample ballot before voting.
Have your photo ID out and ready when checking in to vote.
Silence your cell phones. State law restricts cell phone use in the voting room (with the exception of poll officials using them for election purposes).
If you are unsure of your polling place on Election Day, please visit www.mvp.sos.ga.gov and enter in the requested details to pull up your particular voting information and precinct location.
“This helps with the confusion of those who come to the central precinct thinking that it is their Election Day precinct [after] having voted in advance at this location previously,” Board of Elections and Registration director Glenda Ferguson said on Nov. 2.
This story continues below.
Key dates
Last day to submit an absentee ballot application and request an absentee ballot: Oct. 28.
Runoff, as necessary: Dec. 6
General Election: Nov. 8
Local
Dawson County Commissioner, District 1
Seth Stowers, R
Dawson County Commissioner, District 3
Alexa Bruce, R
Board of Education, at large
Nathan Ingram, R (incumbent)
Board of Education, District 3
Karen Armstrong, R (incumbent)
State
Governor
Brian Kemp, R, (incumbent)
Stacey Abrams, D
Shane Hazel, Libertarian
Lieutenant Governor
Burt Jones, R
Charlie Bailey, D
Ryan Graham, Libertarian
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger, R (incumbent)
Bee Nguyen, D
Ted Metz, Libertarian
Attorney General
Chris Carr, R (incumbent)
Jennifer “Jen” Jordan, D
Martin Cowen, Libertarian
Commissioner of Agriculture
Tyler Harper, R
Nakita Hemingway, D
David Raudabaugh, Libertarian
Commissioner of Insurance
John King, R (incumbent)
Janice Laws Robinson, D
State School Superintendent
Richard Woods, R (incumbent)
Alisha Thomas Searcy, D
Commissioner of Labor
Bruce Thompson, R
William “Will” Boddie Jr., D
Emily Anderson, Libertarian
State Senate District 51
Steve Gooch, R (incumbent)
State House of Representatives, District 9
Will Wade, R (incumbent)
Note: Will Wade will be on the ballot for voters in Dawson County’s eastern and central precincts.
State House of Representative, District 7
David Ralston, R (incumbent)
Note: David Ralston will be on the ballot for voters in Dawson County’s western precinct.
Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney
Lee Darragh, R (incumbent)
Upper Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
George W. Lyons (incumbent)
Federal
U.S. Senate
Herschel Junior Walker, R
Raphael Warnock, D (incumbent)
Chase Oliver, Libertarian
U.S. House of Representatives, District 6
Rich McCormick, R
Bob Christian, D
Ballot questions
1. Provides for suspension of compensation of certain State officers and members of the General Assembly.
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to suspend the compensation of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, or any member of the General Assembly while such individual is suspended from office following indictment for a felony?"
Yes
No
2. Provides for temporary local tax relief after disasters.
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the governing authority of each county, municipality, and consolidated government and the board of education of each independent and county school system in this state shall be authorized to grant temporary tax relief to properties within its jurisdiction which are severely damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster and located within a nationally declared disaster area?"
Yes
No
3. Provides for ad valorem tax exemption for certain timber production, reforestation, and harvesting equipment.
"Shall the Act be approved which grants a state-wide exemption from all ad valorem taxes for certain equipment used by timber producers in the production or harvest of timber?"
Yes
No
4. Expands ad valorem tax exemption for family-owned farms and adds qualified products to the exemption.
"Shall the Act be approved which expands a state-wide exemption from ad valorem taxes for agricultural equipment and certain farm products held by certain entities to include entities comprising two or more family owned farm entities, and which adds dairy products and unfertilized eggs of poultry as qualified farm products with respect to such exemption?"
Yes
No