Stephens Co. Preparing for E-SPLOST Election

Stephens County voters will be heading to the polls this Spring for another election.

In March, voters in Stephens County will decide whether or not to continue to one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education by approving a renewed E-SPLOST.

Stephens County school system officials are proposing that a newly renewed E-SPLOST, if approved by voters, focus on maintenance needs throughout the school system.

Stephens County Registrar Bill Cochran said that there are a number of important dates coming up starting next month regarding the E-SPLOST election.

“Election Day for the Education SPLOST referendum is March 21,” said Cochran. “The deadline to register to vote in that election is February 21 and then early voting begins February 27.”

The website for more information is the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office website at www.sos.ga.gov while the phone number for the Stephens County Registrar’s Office is 706-886-8954.

Cochran also reminded voters who want a mail-in, paper absentee ballot that they can begin requesting those now.

“The process is every year, a person that is interested in receiving an absentee ballot by mail must fill out an application for that ballot,” said Cochran. “Those applications are available at the Registrar’s Office. They can come by and pick one up. They can call the Registrar’s Office and we will mail it to them to their address on file, or they can go online and print it out and drop it off or mail it in to the Registrar’s Office and then they will be set up to receive an absentee ballot for the next election.”

As for those who are age 65 and over or disabled and can automatically receive paper absentee ballots throughout the year, Cochran said because it is a new calendar year, those voters must fill out a new application in order to receive a ballot for this election.

“Even though they will roll over for that calendar year, after that, they must apply for those ballots at the first of the year to receive ballots for that election,” said Cochran.

Again, anyone with questions can call the Stephens County Registrar’s Office at 706-886-8954.