Early voting has begun for the upcoming presidential primary election.
In-person and absentee early voting started Monday, Feb. 19, and will run until Friday, March 8.
Gilmer County voters can go to the county voter registrar’s office at 1 Broad Street, Suite 107, to do their early voting from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on two Saturdays, Feb. 24 and March 2.
Election Day for Georgia’s presidential preference primary is Tuesday, March 12. A sample ballot appears in this week’s newspaper.
Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins said early voting got off to a slow start Monday, but presidential primaries usually have good voter turnouts here.
“In 2020 we had to extend the hours, but I don’t anticipate that this year,” she added.
There aren’t any local offices on the presidential primary ballot, Watkins confirmed. A separate primary for several county offices will be held Tuesday, May 21.
County offices up for election this year include sheriff, probate judge, magistrate judge, court clerk, tax commissioner, post 1 commissioner, coroner, surveyor and multiple school board seats.
“It will be a full local ballot in May,” said Watkins.
Qualifying for the county election starts Monday, March 4. Election Day for the county offices will be on the same day as the Nov. 5 presidential election.