The next round of voting in Georgia starts July 20 for the August 11 runoff and Fannin County election officials are ready.
Elections Supervisor Mary Ann Conner said last week the runoff election schedule is in place, ballots are ready, and absentee ballot and poll worker applications are being accepted.
Nominations for the general election in both the Republican and Democratic parties will be decided.
Two races appear on the Republican ballot, one for Fannin County commission chairman and the other for U.S. Congress from the 9th Congressional District.
Challenger Jamie Hensley faces incumbent Stan Helton in the local chairman’s race.
The two candidates advanced to the runoff by collecting the top number of votes in the June 9 general primary. In that race, Hensley received 2,708 to Helton’s 1,559.
Andrew Clyde and Matt Gurtler appear on the congressional runoff ballot. They emerged from a large fired of candidates seeking to succeed Rep. Doug Collins.
The 9th District Congressional race is also featured on the Democratic ballot where Devin Pandy and Brooke Siskin are seeking their party’s nomination.
Conner said that voters who cast ballots in the June 9 primary must vote in the same party primary in the July 20 runoff – those who voted Republican must vote Republican and those who voted Democratic must vote Democratic.
Registered voters who did not vote in the general primary can vote either ballot in the runoff as can those who only voted in the nonpartisan election in June.
Early voting begins Monday, July 20, and continues through Friday, August 7, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the Board of Registration and Elections office on the third floor of the Fannin County Courthouse in Blue Ridge.
Conner said social distancing will be practiced, there will be a sanitizing table set up, and the office and voting equipment will be sanitized throughout the day.
All precincts will be open Tuesday, August 11, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Absentee ballot applications are being accepted as are applications for poll workers.
Anyone with questions can call the elections office at 706-632-7740.