A candidate forum is scheduled Monday, which is also the beginning of Early Voting for the May 19 primary election.
The first day to Early Vote in the May 19 election is April 27, and that is held in Jones County at the Elections Office at the Government Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Mandatory Saturday voting will take place May 2 and May 9 in the same location.
The last day to Early vote is May 15. The Jones County Candidate forum for the two candidates running for the position of Chairman of the Board of Education will begin at 6:30 p.m. April 27 in the community room at Jones County High School. The forum is sponsored by the Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce and The Jones County News.
The forum will be moderated by William Mathews.
Those attending will have the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates during the event. Questions can also be submitted prior to the forum online by emailing the questions to ashley@grayga.us or debbie@jcnews. com.
The event will be live streamed on the Chamber’s Facebook page for anyone not able to attend.
The Chairman of the Board of Education is the only Jones County position on the May 19 ballot. Incumbent Ginger Bailey is being challenged by Marilyn Norfleet. Both candidates have committed to attend and take part in the next Monday’s forum.
The Board of Education contest is non-partisan, which means the May 19 vote will determine the winner.
Qualifying for the three positions up for election in 2026 was held March 2-5. Two other seats on the board were up for election in 2024. All three of the incumbents for this year’s election, Bailey and board members Dr. Nancy Nash and Mike Gordon, qualified to run, but Bailey is the only one facing opposition. The terms for the positions begin Jan. 1 of 2027.
Bailey took office in 2011 and is in her fourth term in office. She has only faced opposition for her re-election one time previously, in 2022.
This is Norfleet’s first attempt at politics. She has lived in Jones County for 40 years and worked in education for much of her career. That included being site manager for Central Georgia Technical College’s Adult Education for 16 years. For the final four years prior to her retirement, she worked in Bibb County as the site manager of four counties.
Sample ballots for the primary election can be accessed on the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. Anyone who does not have online access to the site can request a sample ballot from the Jones County Elections Office located at the Government Center or by calling the office at 478-986-3222.
