Local Candidates From Contested Races Shared Platforms, Plans During Town Hall Forum

Yesterday, candidates in the three contested races up for election in the May 21 general primary and nonpartisan election participated in a Town Hall Political Forum, hosted by the Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce. 

Roughly 200 residents attended the event, held at 6 p.m. at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Toccoa, and another 100 tuned in to the livestream of the forum on WNEG News’ facebook page. The entire forum was also broadcast live on WNEG radio and wnegradio.com.

Throughout the remainder of this week, during news broadcasts and on wnegradio.com, we will be sharing clips from each candidate’s opening statements and answers to the questions posed by even moderator Van Loskoski. The full livestream of the event will remain tagged to the top of the WNEG News facebook page, and we will also be providing coverage and links on the WNEG Radio website, and we encourage citizens to listen to each candidate’s full time at the mic.

In addition, WNEG News will be drafting a set of additional questions for each candidate for all three contested races and will be arranging interviews with the candidates that will air prior to election day. WNEG will also be interviewing candidates in uncontested races to share with residents their goals and priorities for the office and provide accountability for that platform during their term, and will be sharing those interviews with listeners online and in upcoming news broadcasts. 

Regarding the May 21 election, The Stephens County Board of Elections and Election Supervisor Bruce Carlisle will be holding the state-mandated Logic and Accuracy testing and preparation of voting equipment on April 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and continuing until testing is complete. Members of the public are entitled to be present during the testing. The Logic and Accuracy testing will take place at the Historic Courthouse, 37 W. Tugalo Street in Toccoa. 

Advance In-Person Voting for the May 21 General Primary/Non Partisan election and the City of Avalon Special Election will begin on Monday, April 29 and will continue each weekday until Friday, May 17. There will be mandated Saturday voting on May 4 and May 11. Voting hours will be from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse, 37 W. Tugalo Street in Toccoa. 

All Election Day voting, including voting for the City of Avalon Special Election, will also take place at the Historic Courthouse, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, May 21. There are no other polling locations for elections within Toccoa/Stephens County.

Citizens must be registered to vote no later than April 22 in order to cast a vote in the General Primary/Non Partisan or Special Election. 

Stephens County Election Supervisor Bruce Carlisle said the easiest way for residents to register is online on the My Voter Page of the Secretary of State’s Office.

In addition, voter registration forms are available at a number of places in the community, including the Georgia Department of Driver Services at 62 E Doyle Street in Toccoa and at the Stephens County Elections Office in the Historic Courthouse in Toccoa. 

Carlisle said that those 17.5 years of age or older can register to vote in order to complete the registration process so that they can cast their first vote once they turn 18, and urged all residents to take advantage of their chance to be heard in the voting process.

He also asked residents to check their MVP on the Secretary of State’s website to make sure all their information is correct. Carlisle said that anyone who has ever registered to vote in Georgia, regardless of when, or where they registered, and regardless of whether they registered online, or in person, will have an MVP page on the Secretary of State’s website where they can check their voter status and information. 

Also, the deadline to request an absentee ballot for the May 21 election is May 10, and citizens can request an absentee ballot by calling the Stephens County Election Office at (706) 886-8954 or by visiting mvp.sos.ga.gov. Those that are eligible, meaning 65 years or older or disabled, may “opt-in” to receive absentee ballots for a full calendar year. Those individuals must mark “opt-in” on the absentee ballot request form, as well as mark the reason that they are eligible to opt-in. At least one absentee ballot application must be filled out per calendar year before the first election you intend to vote in for that year even if you opted in in a prior year.

Any voter age 65 or older, or disabled, who requested an absentee ballot for the Presidential Preference Primary earlier this year and opted in for automatic delivery of absentee ballots for the full 2024 election cycle will automatically receive absentee ballots for the May 21 election. Voters who requested an absentee ballot for the election earlier this year but were not 65 years of age or older or disabled, will still need to request an absentee ballot for the May 21 election if they wish to vote by absentee ballot. 

Absentee ballots for the May 21 election must be filled out and received in the Stephens County Election office no later than 7 p.m. on election day. Absentee ballots may be mailed, or deposited in the official ballot drop box, located within the Historic Courthouse, 37 W. Tuglao Street in Toccoa.