Gilmer’s Chief Registrar extends voting hours this week

ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer Citizens are getting a little extra time to vote in this single early voting week before the primary runoff thanks to a decision by the Gilmer Registrar Office. Almost all of Gilmer is focused in on its Post 2 Commissioner election with the runoff between John Marshall and Tom Whatley.

The runoff election day will be on June 21, 2022. To be eligible to vote in this election you must have been registered on or before April 25, 2022. However, the registrars office did make special note on the county website answering citizens questions on if they’d be eligible in specific situations. The county noted that if you voted Democratic or Republican in the May 24, 2022, General Primary/General Nonpartisan you are eligible to vote in the Runoff. If you voted Nonpartisan, you are eligible to vote in the Runoff. If you did not vote in the General Primary/General Nonpartisan, you are eligible to vote in the Runoff.

And now, for those who were concerned about making time to vote in the day, Advanced voting has been extended in this one week. Normally ending at 5:00 p.m. during early voting such as it did for the primary elections on May 24, 2022, this week will see advanced voting extended by one hour each day, going from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. An extra hour for citizens who work till 5 p.m. or for those who work odd shifts.

When asked why she extended the hours, Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins said, “We just felt that since there was only one week of early voting that giving an extra hour for voters to get off work at five and be able to vote would be good.”

With the other local races decided already, there is only the Post 2 Commissioner race and some state democrat positions on the ballot. Early voting occurs at the Gilmer County Board of Registrar, 1 Broad Street, Suite 107, Ellijay, GA. For those voting on election day, normal precincts will be open.