The first four days of early voting have been busy with more than 2,700 voters opting to go to the Government Center to cast their ballots in person.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State Election Hub, Jones County has 21,528 active voters, and almost nine percent of those have voted. The first day of early voting, Oct. 13, brought out 550 voters with 513 Wednesday, Oct. 14, and 498 Thursday.
Friday and Saturday numbers brought the total for the week up to 2,717.
The hours for early voting are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Oct. 30, and there are two days of Saturday voting. The first was Oct.17 and Saturday voting will also be held Oct. 24.
The date of the election is Nov. 3, and all precincts in Jones County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Absentee ballots can be requested by calling the Elections Office at 478-9863222 or online. The final day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23. So far there have been 455 absentee ballots requested in Jones County and 116 of them have been returned to be counted.
Anyone with questions about early voting or the Nov. 3 election may call the elections office or go to My Voter Page on the Georgia Secretary of State website at mvp.sos.ga.gov.
Constitutional amendments
The Nov. 3 ballot contains three constitutional amendments. Unlike the opinion questions that were on the primary ballots, these are proposed amendments to the Constitution of Georgia. These amendments originate in the legislature and require a two-thirds vote in favor from both the House and Senate to be on the ballot. However, it only takes a simple majority of voters to approve an amendment.
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia, for the purpose of protecting family farmland, be amended so as to increase the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation as a bona fide conservation use property from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres?”
The voter is asked to choose yes or no. The first amendment would increase the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation as a bona fide conservation use property from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the value of property classified as conservation use is not based on fair market value but on its current use. The benefit to those with bigger family farms and timber tracts would be to keep it from being sold off for development.
The downside is the more acreage that qualifies for a lower tax, the less school districts and local government agencies would collect, possibly leading to budget issues for local governments.
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to require that all probate court judges be elected in nonpartisan elections?”
The voter is asked to choose yes or no. The position of probate judge is a state constitutional officer, which means every county in Georgia has one. Jones County is unique because its probate judge is already a non-partisan position. That is because a former probate judge went through the legislative process to take politics out of the position.
Be that as it may, Jones County voters still have the question on their ballot. Probate judges handle legal matters like wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships and involuntary commitments. They also issue marriage licenses and weapon carry permits.
Supporters of the amendment want probate judges to be non-partisan like all other judges. Opponents feel taking the parties off gives less information about the candidate.
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate certain existing revenues, including revenues reallocated by law, to a nonlapsing fund to be used exclusively for the expansion, maintenance, and operation of emergency 9-1-1 systems in this state?”
The voter is asked to choose yes or no. The third amendment is about creating a dedicated revenue to fund the Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1. Ballotpedia’s summary states the money would be used to expand 911 systems. Revenue for the systems usually comes from the general fund and is spent as decided by legislators. Locking money into a specific use would need constitutional permission.
The amendment does not create a new tax but would use existing dedicated revenue such as the 911 fees paid on mobile phone bills. Those against the amendment feel having a dedicated fund would reduce budget flexibility.
