Qualifying Ends Today for Stephens Co. Special Election

Qualifying wraps up today for the special election to fill the seat of the late Harold Andrews on the Stephens County Commission.

Interested candidates have from 9 a.m. to 12 noon today to qualify for the special election at the Stephens County Registrar’s Office.

The Registrar’s Office is located downstairs in the Stephens County Government Building in downtown Toccoa.

As of Friday afternoon, two candidates have qualified to run in the special election.

They are Michelle Grafton and Ralph Stowe.

Any candidates who wish to run in the race must pay the qualifying fee of $440.

Qualifying was originally supposed to end Friday.

However, it was extended for a day because county offices were closed last Wednesday due to winter weather, postponing the first day of qualifying until last Thursday.

The special election to fill Andrews’ unexpired term will take place on March 18.

Whoever wins the special election would serve the remainder of Andrews’ unexpired term, which runs through December 31, 2014.

Andrews’ seat on the county commission is also scheduled to be on the ballot in this year’s general election for a new four-year term starting on January 1, 2015.

Candidates who qualify for the special election will have to qualify again and pay another qualifying fee in order to run for the full four-year term.

For more information on qualifying for the special election, people can call the Registrar’s Office at 706-886-8954.