Absentee Ballot Applications Ready As Election Season Warms Up

The 2016 election season is getting into full swing.

Stephens County Registrar Bill Cochran said that his office is already accepting absentee ballot applications and sending out absentee ballots for the May 24 general primary election.

Cochran said anyone wanting a mail-in, paper absentee ballot can contact his office during normal business hours to request one.

“Voters can request applications by phone or in person,” said Cochran. “This application will cover the elderly, disabled, military and overseas citizens for the rest of the year. Anyone else that is outside those groups will have to request an absentee ballot for each election.”

Cochran did say that for those elderly, disabled, military, and overseas voters who requested a mail-in, paper absentee ballot for the Presidential Preference Primary, they must file another request for this election in May, that will cover them for the rest of the election year.

He added that because the May vote is a primary, voters will have to choose a ballot style when requesting their mail-in, paper absentee ballot.

“They still have to select a party, either Democratic, non-partisan, or Republican,” said Cochran.

Local races including those for Sheriff, County Commission, Board of Education, U.S. House, State Senate, and District Attorney are all on the Republican ballot.

In addition, it should be noted that non-partisan races do appear on the Democratic and Republican ballots. However, Republican and Democratic races do not appear on the non-partisan ballot.

Meanwhile, Cochran said the deadline is approaching to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the May primary.

That deadline, he said, is April 26.

For more information on voter registration or requesting a mail-in, paper absentee ballot, call the Stephens County Registrar’s Office at 706-886-8954.

More information on voting can also be found online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s office website at www.sos.ga.gov.

Early voting for the May 24 primary will start on May 2 at the Stephens County Courthouse Annex.

Also, Cochran said that anyone interested in being a poll worker for the election should contact his office.