Sample Ballots Available, Precinct Cards In Route

The Stephens County Elections Office has issued samples of the ballots that will be used in the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary. 

There are 11 candidates listed on the Republican ballot. The candidates, listed in order of their filing date, include Former President Donald J. Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Former Governor Doug Burgum, Former Governor Asa Hutchinson, Governor Ron DeSantis, David Stuckenberg, Ryan Binkley, Former Governor Chris Christie, Former Ambassador Nikki Haley, Perry Johnson, and Senator Tim Scott. 

There are three candidates listed on the Democratic ballot. The candidates are President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.

The 2024 Georgia Presidential Preference Primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 12. Advanced in person voting will begin on Monday, February 19 and continue each weekday until Friday, March 8. Mandatory advanced in person Saturday voting will take place on February 24 and March 2. Hours for advanced in person voting will be from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Election day voting hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

The deadline to register to vote in order to participate in the March 12 Presidential Preference Primary is February 12. 

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the Presidential Preference Primary is March 1, 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.

The Stephens County Elections Office will begin mailing absentee ballots on Monday, February 19.

Stephens County Election Supervisor Bruce Carlisle has announced the schedule for the mandated Logic and Accuracy Testing. According to the legal notification, “the logic and accuracy testing and preparation of voting equipment to be used in the March 12, 2024 Presidential Preference Primary will begin at 8:30 a.m. on February 15. Testing will continue from day to day until complete and members of the public are entitled to be present during testing.  Said testing and preparation will be conducted at the Historic Courthouse, 37 W. Tugalo Street in Toccoa, where all in-person voting in the 2024 elections cycle will take place, including advance voting and election day voting. 

WNEG News spoke with Carlisle earlier this week regarding concerns expressed by citizens over the new precinct cards that have been mailed to each registered voter in Stephens County. As reported by WNEG News in January, due to the relocation of all voting to the Historic Courthouse, all active and inactive registered voters in Stephens County were issued a new precinct card by the Georgia State Elections Office. Those new cards were shipped to the Stephens County office in January, and prepared for mailing and taken to the local post office on January 5. However, some residents have yet to receive their new precinct cards.Carlisle said that the issue lies with the Postal Service Procedures, but assures citizens that even if the cards fail to be delivered, it will not impact an individual’s ability to cast their vote.

He said the cards were printed and shipped to Toccoa in early January, postage was affixed to the envelopes in the local election office, and the cards were delivered by hand to the Toccoa Post Office the next day.

Carlisle stressed that the precinct cards are not necessary to vote, and said that there are a number of ways to obtain the card, including printing it yourself from your MyVoter page on the Secretary of State’s election website.

He said citizens are encouraged to call the Stephens County Election Office with any questions or concerns, or to check on the status of your precinct card.

For more information , contact the Elections Office at (706) 886-8954.