2021 Cobb Education SPLOST VI referendum passes easily

Sprayberry High School, Cobb Education SPLOST

UPDATED, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 1:35 P.M.

Just as the Atlanta Braves were completing a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros to clinch the World Series, voters in Cobb County finalized another rout on Tuesday.

More than 72 percent of the voters casting ballots in the Cobb Education SPLOST VI voted yes (35,427), while 29 percent said no (13,713), with all 145 precincts fully reporting.

That means that starting in Jan. 2024, a one-percent sales tax for construction, maintenance and technology projects in the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools will be collected for another six years, ending in Dec. 2029.

The SPLOST extension is expected to generate $894 million in revenues for Cobb schools and $71.5 million for Marietta schools.

The results compiled by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office can be by clicking here; they are final and unofficial. Certification of results by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration is scheduled for Nov. 8.

Slightly less than 50,000 of the 530,000 registered voters in Cobb County voted, a turnout of 5 percent.

From the earliest returns of advance voters, “yes” votes never had less than 70 percent of the vote.

The “yes” votes claimed every single precinct in Cobb. Final precinct breakdowns are not yet available; East Cobb News will list them in a separate post later in the week.

Voters in East Cobb were galvanized the project list for the Cobb school district, which include a rebuild of the main Sprayberry High School building and classroom additions at Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools in East Cobb.

Voters in Cobb’s six cities also chose city council members and mayors on Tuesday.

In Marietta, three-term incumbent Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin was re-elected after he defeated city council member Michelle Collins Kelly by 57-43 percent of the vote.

Kelly’s Ward 6 seat, which includes East Marietta, will be filled by Andre Sims, who was unopposed in the non-partisan election.

In Marietta school board races, Kerry Minervini, the incumbent in Ward 6 that includes East Marietta, was re-elected without opposition.

UPDATED, 11:30 PM:

With 95 percent of precincts reporting (138/145), yes votes are 34,257 (72%), no votes are 13,261 (28%) in the Cobb Education SPLOST.

Final figures to come Wednesday.

UPDATED, 11:15 PM:

With 77 percent of precincts fully reporting, yes has 29,441 votes (71.6 percent) to 11,662 no votes (28.4 percent).

UPDATED, 10:30 PM:

With 44 percent of the vote counted, yes leads SPLOST 20,093 to 7,965 voting no, 71.6-28.4.

UPDATED, 9:45 PM:

With 12 percent of the vote in, yes votes are 11,796 and no votes are 4,687, still a roughly 71-29 split.

UPDATED, 7:55 P.M.:

The initial returns from the Cobb Education SPLOST VI referendum show “YES” votes leading with 71 percent of the vote (advanced votes).

Those voting in favor are 6,928 thus far, and voting against are 2,824.

ORIGINAL POST, 7:01 P.M.:

The polls have closed in Cobb County and the the counting has begun for the Cobb Education SPLOST VI referendum and municipal elections.

Voters in Cobb County were asked whether to renew a one-percent sales tax for construction, maintenance and technology for the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools.

Voters in Cobb’s six cities were deciding city council races, including a contested mayor’s race in Marietta. Marietta voters also were voting in school board elections.

Headlining the SPLOST VI project list for the Cobb school district include a rebuild of the main Sprayberry High School building and classroom additions at Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools in East Cobb.

See the East Cobb News voters guide for more information.

Voters who were in line at the polls by 7 p.m. Tuesday were eligible to vote. Voters in eight precincts were able to vote beyond 7 p.m. due to various technical issues. They included the Hightower and Post Oak precincts in East Cobb, which were to close at 7:05 p.m.

Absentee ballots also were either mailed in or hand-delivered to the Cobb Elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday or dropped off at a designated location, including The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road).

Cobb Elections said nearly 13,000 people voted during the advance voting period the last two weeks, in-person and absentee voting combined.

East Cobb News will update this post all evening.