VOTE 2024: Turnout still increasing for local primary races

Early voters topped some 1,300 ballot cast or returned by midweek as the Board of Elections gets into the final few days of early voting.

Precincts are open today until 5 p.m. and will be open again on Thursday and Friday in Cedartown and Rockmart for voters to cast a ballot ahead of the Tuesday, May 21 local and state primary comes to a close on election day.

So far, 1,329 ballots have been cast as turnout continues to gain steam into the final couple of days of early voting. Cedartown’s precinct had recorded 681 ballots cast so far, and Rockmart’s precinct reported 551 ballots cast.

Some 97 of the 203 absentee mail-in ballots have been returned, and the Board of Elections is encouraging all to get those turned in as soon as possible to be counted before polls close at 7 p.m. on May 21, 2024.

That put the total as of the close of precincts on Tuesday, May 14, at 1,329 ballots cast in total.

Polk County voters have the opportunity to decide local elections for upcoming terms in office as only GOP primaries are underway for several positions on the ballot.

Those include the County Commission District 1 race with four candidates – incumbent appointee Jordan Hubbard, along with challengers Deborah Connelly, Michael Gravett and James Vines.

Incumbent Commissioner Ray Carter in District 3 faces a pair of challengers in Butch Garrett and John Paschal on this year’s ballot in countywide contested races.

Two other countywide races include the coroner between incumbent Norman Smith and candidate Nathan Womack, and surveyor between Nick Rainey and Robert Cannon.

Rockmart-area school board races are also contested, but only voters who live in District 5 or District 6 are getting to cast a ballot. The District 5 race features Greg Teems and Jeff Hawkins for a seat coming open at year’s end.

The same goes for District 6, where Christina Robinson and Paul “Drew” Williams Jr.

Thursday and Friday are the final two days to participate in early voting. The polls are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Goodyear Civic Center on Prior Street in Cedartown, and the Nathan Dean Community Center on Goodyear Avenue in Rockmart.

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