County extends local state of emergency to April 30

All voters will get an absentee ballot application this year

Shelter-in-place orders and the threat of COVID-19 have caused unprecedented changes in our country, including huge changes to this year’s election cycle. As a result, all 6.9 million Georgia voters will receive an absentee ballot application so they can request to vote in the May 19 primary from the safety of their home. 

“Times of turbulence and upheaval like the one we Georgians face require decisive action if the liberties we hold so dear are to be preserved,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “The people of Georgia, from the earliest settlers to heroes like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis, have fought too long and too hard for their right to vote to have it curtailed.

Click here to find the 2020 Progress Lawn and Garden Guide, which features informative articles and ads from local businesses. 

By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
 
ATLANTA - Georgia House Speaker David Ralston is asking Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to delay the May 19 primaries because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter dated Thursday, Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, suggested holding the primaries no earlier than June 23.
“You and I both agree that the right to vote is one of our most cherished freedoms,” the speaker wrote. “It is a right which, to the extent possible, should be free of impact from circumstances which create obstacles to its exercise. 
“However, the inescapable truth is that we do not know the duration of the immediate health peril. Reputable scientists and physicians cannot agree on its duration.”