Jones County voters re-elected the current Board of Education chair by a resounding 53.66 percent, easily avoiding a runoff.
Ginger Bailey will return for a fourth term as chair. She was elected for the first time in 2010, and this year was her first time being opposed since her election. Bailey was challenged by Brady Skinner and Max Wood.
Bailey received 3,246 of the 6,049 votes cast in the May 24 non-partisan election. Skinner received 1,511 votes or 24.9 percent, and Wood garnered 1,292 votes for 21.25 percent.
Wood was out of town on a long-planned trip with the Boy Scouts election night, and, because it was also graduation for Jones County High School, both Bailey and Skinner were in Milledgeville for the ceremony.
Bailey was there in her capacity as board chair, and Skinner was there to attend the graduation of his son.
Skinner came to the elections office following the graduation ceremony to check on the results.
“All is according to God’s plan,” he commented. “Now just wasn’t the right time.”
Bailey said it had been an interesting few months leading up to the election.
“I’m very humbled that people have put their faith in me again,” she said. “I want to work with everyone, those who voted for me and those who did not. I’m looking forward to another four years.”
The chairman said she is concerned about legislation that is being passed in Atlanta.
“Ninety-two percent of our children are in public education. We can’t let it be destroyed,” she said.
Bailey said many people worked hard and put their trust in her to get her re-elected. She said she appreciates every one of them.
“Educating our children is very important, but our first priority is to the safety of our children,” she added.
Election day challenges
Election Superintendent Marion Hatton said May 24 started off with power out at the Gray Precinct located in the gym behind the Government Center. She said when she arrived at 5:30 a.m., she had to decide to move that precinct into the Elections Office inside of the Government Center.
“It was chaos. It was 6:55 a.m., and nothing was coming up,” she said.
Hatton said by 7 a.m., however, every precinct in the county had at least one voting machine up and running. She said by 8 a.m., she was able to breathe. There was the usual wait for precincts to bring in their equipment and totals, but it was after 11 p.m. before the first Jones County results were uploaded to the state website due to technical difficulties.
The final total of Jones County voters was 6,428 with 2,401 voting during Early Voting and 303 voting by absentee ballots by mail. The number of voters who cast their ballots on Election Day in Jones County was 3,724 or 61 percent.
