Early Voting begins Monday

UNDATED - Early Voting begins Monday for the Dec. 2 runoffs in Georgia, and for Lumpkin County voters there's more at stake than the three statewide races on the ballots in the other Gainesville area counties.

The ballot in Lumpkin will include a runoff for the District One seat on the County Board of Education.

The candidates are incumbent Susan Sockwell, who led the four-person race on Nov. 4 with 37 percent of the vote, and incumbent Stroud Stacy, who garnered 32 percent.

There are no other local runoffs in the Gainesville area.

The only races that will be on the other ballots are the three statewide contests: Incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin in the U.S. Senate race; Lauren W. McDonald Jr. and Jim Powell for the state Public Service Commission post now held by Elizabeth Speir, who did not seek re-election; and Sara Doyle and Mike Sheffield for the seat on the state Court of Appeals now held by John Ruffin, who did not seek another term this year.