Lengthy ballot awaits voters in some NE Ga. counties

UNDATED - While the ballots for Hall and Gwinnett counties are among the skimpiest in the immediate Gainesville area for Tuesday's primaries, at least four counties are loaded with candidates - especially on their Republican ballots.

Hall County voters will find only four local races on the GOP ballot Tuesday and only one on the Democratic ballot.

The Republican candidates include Charles Baker, Jennifer Gibbs and Bob Vass, who are vying for the Clerk of Courts job being given up by Dwight Wood. Incumbent Patti Cornett and challenger Dan Sammons are running for Probate Judge. The race for Tax Commissioner pits incumbent Keith Echols against J.C. Smith. Chris Masters is challenging County Commissioner Billy Powell, who is seeking another term.

The lone Democratic contest has Ashley Bell running against County Commissioner Deborah Mack, who is seeking re-election.

There are four contested races on the Republican ballot in Gwinnett, none on the Democratic ballot. But there is a non-binding referendum on both ballots on whether the MARTA should extend bus and rail lines into Gwinnett, and there is a binding vote scheduled on creating Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) in the county to aid in the redevelopment of depressed areas.

In Banks County, three races on the GOP ballot are contested, none on the Demcoratic side; Dawson County has four, all Republican; and, Jackson and White, three each, all GOP. But, there are six contested local races in Lumpkin, seven each in Habersham and Barrow, and 10 in Forsyth County - all involving Republican races. Like Banks and Gwinnett, there are no contested local races on the Democratic ballot in any of those counties.

In addition to contested races for statewide offices on both ballots all over Georgia, there are a number of contested races for State Senate and State House of Representative posts in Northeast Georgia, though none of the Hall County seats are contested in the primaries.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and you will be required to furnish one of six acceptable forms of picture identification before you will be allowed to vote.