ELECTION UPDATE FOR THURSDAY, OCT 17
LOCAL TURNOUT
A total of 930 Stephens County voters cast their ballot in Advance In-Person voting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, bringing the number of ballots cast at the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Toccoa to 2,-10. Also as of closing of polls on Oct. 16, 643 Absentee Ballots have been mailed out and 254 have been returned so far.
Election Supervisor Bruce Carlisle said that the average turnout on Tuesday was 121.25 voters per hour, but added that the average wait time was only between one to one and a half minutes at the Historic Courthouse.
FYI
Early Voting will take place each weekday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 1. Saturday voting will take place on October 19 and October 26 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Election day voting will be Tuesday, November 5, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Election Day voting is the only day during which there are extended hours for voting; all other days, polls are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All voting will take place at the Stephens County Historic Courthouse, 37 W. Tugalo Street in Toccoa.
Voters must bring valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or voter identification card, to the voting location. It is not necessary for voters to carry a voter registration/precinct card with them when voting.
Carlisle asked WNEG News to remind voters that, if they made any changes in their registration after Oct. 7 of this year, they will not show up on the voter rolls, and voter rolls are, by law, now locked until after the election.
Voters who need assistance voting,can bring a family member or friend to help fill in the ballot.
ON THE BALLOT
In addition to local, state and federal candidates, there are three ballot measures that voters will be asked to vote on during this general election – two Georgia Constitutional amendments and one referendum.
First, Georgia Amendment 1, the Local Option Homestead Property Tax Exemption Amendment, is on the ballot in Georgia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. This constitution amendment, if passed, would authorize the Georgia General Assembly to implement a statewide exemption from ad valorem taxes, allowing counties to reduce the amount of property taxes that a homeowner pays on their primary residence. It would create statewide uniformity similar to exemptions several counties already have.
It would also create an option for local governments and school systems to opt out.
Details on the Amendment, including comments from those in favor, and those opposed to the bill, are included here.
A “yes” vote would support the implementation of a statewide exemption from ad valorem taxes and allowing political subdivisions such as counties and municipalities to opt out.
A “no” vote would object to the implementation of a statewide exemption from ad valorem taxes and allowing political subdivisions such as counties and municipalities to opt out.
Next, Georgia Amendment 2, the Creation of Tax Court Amendment, is on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. This amendment would create a tax court with statewide jurisdiction that would be concurrent with superior courts. Currently, the tax tribunal that hears tax cases is in Georgia’s executive branch, so Amendment 2 would establish a court in the judicial system. Under current procedures, the Fulton County Superior Court hears appeals to any tax tribunal cases. However, Superior Court is not meant to be an appellate court and does not specialize in tax law. The amendment would ensure that the Georgia Court of Appeals would hear an appeal to a tax case decision. Documentation for the ballot measure indicates that the amendment would not change any rules of evidence, and is simply an operational amendment to “clarify, simplify and speed up the process.”
The Georgia House unanimously voted to adopt House Resolution 598 on Feb. 27, and the Georgia Senate adopted the resolution nearly unanimously on March 20.
A yes vote on this measure would support the creation of the Tax Court, while a no vote would oppose the creation of the tax court.
Details on the Amendment, including comments from those in favor, and those opposed to the bill, are included here.
Finally, Georgia Referendum A, the Personal Property Tax Exemption Increase Measure, is on the ballot in Georgia as a legislatively referred state statute.
The measure would increase a property tax exemption for tangible personal property worth $7,500 or less to properties worth $20,000 or less. Personal property includes furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, inventory, and other property used in a business; as well as aircraft and boats owned by an individual or corporation
According to ballot measure documentation,Georgia last raised the maximum threshold for a tangible personal property tax exemption in 2002, when voters passed Referendum E to raise the limit from $500 to $7,500.
Members of the Georgia General Assembly co-sponsored House Bill 808 to alleviate tax burdens on tangible personal property such as office supplies and equipment. The Georgia Senate unanimously approved H.B. 808 on March 26.
Proponents of the referendum state the measure is meant to relieve the burden of inflation and the effects of COVID-19 on small businesses, stating that businesses already pay sales tax on equipment like computers, machines and office supplies.
Republican State Rep. Mike Cheokas, one of the bill’s sponsors, said “There was a lot of support from the business community in favor of this. A lot of support. And we’re talking about mom-and-pop operations. Twenty-thousand dollars to General Motors is nothing, but for the one- or two-man accounting firm or for the single practice attorney or for the guy that does lawn work and he’s got to buy a new lawn mower, this is important for the small business owner.”
Details on the Amendment, including comments from those in favor, and those opposed to the bill, are included here.
A yes vote on this ballot measure would support increasing the value of personal property exempt from taxes $7,500 to $20,000. A no vote would support keeping the value at $7,500.
STATEWIDE TURNOUT
Statewide, election officials have confirmed that Georgia voters turned out in record numbers for a Presidential year. As of Tuesday, October 15th just over 310,000 Georgia voters have cast their ballot during Early Voting. This is up from 70,849 on the first day of Early Voting in the 2018 midterm election, 136,739 in the 2020 Presidential Election, and beats the first day of Early Voting of 134,962 in the 2022 midterm election.