Voter Registration Deadline Is July 2

The deadline to register to vote in the July 31 primary and non-partisan election is Monday, July 2.

Anyone who is unclear about his or her registration status should visit the registrar’s office in the basement of the Courthouse or call 706-468-4908 to confirm registration status. New voter registration cards will be mailed out this month, but to avoid confusion and last-minute snafus, interested persons may want to check now.

The state did a large purge of registered voters in 2011, said Chief Registrar Carole Norris, so even those who have voted before may be ineligible now. Anyone who has not voted in the last eight years was purged, and no notification was sent.

In addition, as brought to light by Rev. Jimmy Horton at the candidate forum Monday, some people do not know if they are eligible to vote. That can be confirmed at the registrar’s office, too.

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Persons must be registered to vote at their correct address, so any voter who has moved since voting last or who is unsure about his district should be sure his or her correct address is what the registrar has. In addition, it would be best if personal identification had the correct address.

Early voting in person will begin Monday, July 9. Absentee ballots can be requested now and will be sent when available.

The Monticello – Jasper County Chamber of Commerce will hold a Candidate Forum on Thursday, July 12, at 7 p.m. for candidates in all local contested races for the primary or non-partisan elections on July 31.

Candidates who do not face opposition in the primary have not been invited, only those who face opposition on July 31. Another forum will be held before the general election.

Anyone wanting to submit a question to any of the candidates at that forum may submit them in advance to the COC office on the Square or e-mail them to jasperchamber@bellsouth.net.