East Cobb Politics & Elections Archives

Voting information for 2021 Cobb elections, including Ed-SPLOST

November 2, 2021 9:32 PMAugust 23, 2021 10:20 AM by Wendy Parker

UPDATED, Nov. 2:

You can follow real-time results compiled by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office by clicking here.

Original Post:

As approved last month by the Cobb Board of Education, there’s a referendum coming in November to extend the Cobb Education SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), which pays for school construction, maintenance and technology costs. cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

If approved, the Cobb Ed-SPLOST VI would collect an estimated $894 million from 2024-29 for projects in the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools.

Among the major items on the Cobb project list is a rebuild of the main Sprayberry High School classroom building.

It’s the only countywide item on the 2021 Cobb ballot, with county, state and federal elections coming in 2022. Municipal elections will take place this year in Cobb’s six cities, including Marietta, where there’s a contest for mayor.

Incumbent Steve “Thunder” Tumlin is being challenged by council member Michelle Cooper Kelly, whose ward includes part of East Marietta.

Late last week Cobb Elections put out some information for voters on registration, absentee ballot procedures, advance voting and more for the November elections. Here are some of those details and deadlines:

Voters must register to vote or update their address by Oct. 4 at MVP.sos.ga.gov.
Voters may submit an absentee ballot application only between Aug. 16 and Oct. 22.
Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters beginning Oct. 11.
Voted absentee ballots must be received by Cobb Elections staff before 7pm on Nov. 2, 2021.
- Ballots can be returned by postal mail, or
- hand-delivered to the ballot box inside the Cobb Elections office, or
- hand-delivered to any early voting location during voting hours.
In a pilot program, Cobb Elections staff will also accept voted ballots at certain libraries starting on Oct. 25. A schedule or dates, times and locations will be published soon.
Early voting will begin on Oct. 12. A schedule of dates, times and locations will be published no later than Sept. 27.

For questions and for more information, visit cobbcounty.org/elections email info@cobbelections.org, or call 770-528-2581.

More in the video below on how absentee voting will be different from 2020:

Former Army Airborne Ranger running for 6th District Congress

July 28, 2021 12:28 PMJuly 27, 2021 12:21 PM by Wendy Parker

Harold Earls, 6th Congressional District candidate

Continuing our series of introductory articles about 2022 political candidates: Harold Earls, a previously announced Republican who’s filed for the 6th Congressional District seat.

(Here’s his campaign website.)

One of four who’s announced on the GOP side (profiles here of Meagan Hanson and Jake Evans) to challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, Earls lives in Roswell and is a former Army officer, having served as an Airborne Ranger.

He’s a graduate Fellowship Christian Academy in Roswell and the U.S. Military Academy, where was captain of its baseball team. He also has led a group an Army combat team and veteran amputee on trips to Mt. Everest.

Those experiences were the subject of a book “A Higher Calling: Pursuing Love, Faith and Mt. Everest for a greater purpose.” He and his co-author and wife, Rachel Earls, run a digital media business in Roswell and are the parents to two sons.

He was a fellow for former Georgia U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall and was a guard commander of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

More on Earls and his background can be found here.

After another GOP candidate, Eric Welsh, pulled out in July, Earls said that the two of them were “not part of the Good Ol’ Boys Club.’ Welsh wanted to make a difference here in Georgia and was not a political opportunist waiting on favorable district lines.”

Earls continued that “over the last few years, there has been a growing disrespect in our government for our country and those who serve and have served to protect it. This makes me sick. Congress has become a melting pot of weak leaders who don’t care about you, me, or the United States. I am here to change that. I will lead. I will stand for our values, and I will stand up for you and your family. That is my promise.”

Earls said he will advocate for smaller government, and deplored trillions of dollars of American debt and noted that China is the country’s largest debt collector.

“That means that my two little toddlers are going to bear the burden of this generation’s failure to address balancing our budget at the behest of our biggest adversary,” he said.

On immigration, Earls said he supports a “merit-based system where the best and brightest who want to enter America have the chance to do so and allows us to keep bad actors out of the country.”

Earls said he wants to make permanent the Tax Cuts & Job Act to foster business innovation and also supports school choice options.

But he said he and his wife have had their business affected by occasional demonetizing by YouTube, where they have more than 540,000 subscribers.

Earls said he supports revisions to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to encourage “free speech, privacy, safety, competition and honesty.”

Fitz Johnson appointed to Georgia Public Service Commission

July 21, 2021 2:33 PMJuly 21, 2021 11:16 AM by Wendy Parker

Former Cobb Commission candidate Fitz Johnson was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday to serve on the Georgia Public Service Commission. Fitz Johnson, Cobb Commission candidate

Johnson will replace PSC chairman Chuck Eaton, whom Kemp named to serve as a Superior Court judge in the Atlanta circuit.

Johnson, a Republican from Vinings, is a retired Army officer and business executive who was defeated in the November 2020 election by Democrat Jerica Richardson for the Cobb Board of Commissioners District 2, which includes some of East Cobb.

“Fitz Johnson’s remarkable record of service to our nation, experience as a private sector business leader, and dedication to his community uniquely qualify him to serve our state on the Public Service Commission,” Kemp said in a statement. “With his diverse background and real-world leadership credentials, I know Fitz will work hard every day to ensure Georgia remains the top state for business and the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

In a statement issued on social media page, Johnson said “I am honored that Governor Brian Kemp has appointed me to the Public Service Commission. I look forward to serving our great State.”

Johnson is a trustee of the Wellstar Health System and the Kennesaw State University Foundation, serves on the State Charter Schools Commission and is active with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

The PSC is a five-member elected board that regulates utilities in the state of Georgia. They serve six-year terms, and Johnson’s appointment means that the current composition remains all-Republican.

He will serve the remainder of Eaton’s term, which expires in 2024.

Ga. Secretary of State to speak to Rotary Club of East Cobb

July 19, 2021 1:13 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is the guest speaker at the Wednesday breakfast meeting of the Rotary Club of East Cobb. Georgia recount presidential race, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

The meeting is from 7-8 a.m. at the Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive).

There’s limited in-person attendance but the event also can be seen online. Registration is required and you can sign up by clicking here.

Raffensperger is a Republican from Johns Creek who is in his first term, and he has announced he will be seeking re-election in 2022.

He has been in the national spotlight since the presidential election last year, when former President Donald Trump’s campaign made accusations of voter fraud in Georgia, which current President Joe Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes.

Raffensperger ordered a manual recount before the Trump campaign requested an automated recounts, both of which confirmed Biden as the winner of Georgia’s 16 electoral votes.

In a piece for The Wall Street Journal on in December, Raffensperger wrote that Trump was using the “same playbook” as Stacey Abrams, a Democratic former legislator who lost to Brian Kemp in the 2018 Georgia governor’s race but never conceded.

Trump has vowed to work against Raffensperger’s re-election, and supports U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who is seeking the GOP nomination for Secretary of State.

This past weekend, Abrams held a voting rights roundtable in Atlanta that included Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

On Monday morning, Raffensperger tweeted that Klobuchar, who ran for president in 2020, “has pushed the lie that Stacey Abrams’ election was stolen to support the elections takeover. She must be held accountable.”

KSU student launches campaign for Cobb school board Post 4

July 17, 2021 1:57 PMJuly 17, 2021 11:55 AM by Wendy Parker

Austin Heller, Cobb school board candidate

Austin Heller, a rising senior at Kennesaw State University, announced this week he’s running for a seat on the Cobb Board of Education in 2022.

Heller, a political science major who is 20 years old, is running as a Democrat for the Post 4 seat held by Republican incumbent David Chastain.

That post includes the Kell and Sprayberry clusters and also covers the KSU campus area. Heller is a graduate of the Hardaway School in Columbus, and initially majored in elementary education at KSU. He also is a senior resident assistant for housing and as a member of the school’s Civic Engagement team he encourages students “on their right to vote and community engagement opportunities.”

Heller, who made his announcement after the Cobb school board meeting Thursday, said he’s running because “I see a desperate need for our county and our Board to lead with empathy and pass equitable policies that uplift all our students.”

He referenced his youth as a “military brat” for being exposed to different cultures and said “I believe our community deserves to be fully represented as we are all important to creating a Cobb that we are proud of.”

He said he is running on a platform of “empathy, equity, and advocacy,” and mentioned the three Democrats on the board—Jaha Howard, Charisse Davis and Tre’ Hutchins—for doing “amazing” work for Cobb school students.

” I would be honored and humbled to join them on the Board fighting for Cobb families,” Heller said.

Heller said he opposes the Cobb school board’s recent vote to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the Cobb County School District. That was a 4-3 vote on party lines, with Chastain voting in favor and the three Democrats against.

“Honest and comprehensive history is crucial to understanding where we are today,” Heller said in his campaign announcement. “I believe in our trained educators to have hard conversations with our students in safe spaces inside the classroom. I also know and understand how important it is to see yourself represented in and out of the classroom. Every student in our county matters and I am ready to help them be the most successful and healthy individuals they can be.”

Heller doesn’t have a campaign website for now but his e-mail address is: austin4cobb@outlook.com. He also is on Instagram and Twitter.

Chastain, a systems engineer at Lockheed-Martin, has indicated he will be seeking a third term. In his most recent filings with Cobb Elections in May, he filed a personal financial disclosure report.

He won re-election in 2018 over Democrat Cynthia Parr with 53 percent of the vote.

Another East Cobb seat on the school board, held by Davis in Post 6, also will be up in 2022. That includes the Walton and Wheeler clusters.

Post 2 in the Smyrna area also will be on the ballot next year. Howard, like Davis, will be completing his first term.

Before those elections, however, all seven posts on the Cobb school board will be redrawn by the county legislative delegation in reapporionment.

Ex-Ga. ethics head announces bid for 6th District Congress

July 14, 2021 11:39 AMJuly 14, 2021 8:37 AM by Wendy Parker

Jake Evans, the former chairman of the Georgia Ethics Commission, is seeking the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District seat. Jake Evans, 6th Congressional District candidate

Evans is an attorney who said he is running “to usher in the great comeback to retake America.”

He describes himself as a “conservative trailblazer” and mentioned the 1994 Republican resurgence that led to former Congressman Newt Gingrich becoming Speaker of the House when he represented the 6th District.

“The Northern Arc of metro Atlanta is a thriving, dynamic region that cares about education, public safety, national defense and fair trade,” Evans said in a statement.

“But we’re stuck with a member of Congress who only cares about one issue – taking away the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans and leaving them defenseless against out-of-control crime. We need change, and I’m here to offer bold, conservative leadership that delivers an America First agenda to restore the values that make this country exceptional.”

That’s a reference to current Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, whose main priorities include gun control.

Evans (you can view his campaign website here) is the second Republican this week to announce a challenge to McBath, following an announcement by former legislator Meagan Hanson.

They both have employed strong conservative language in a 6th District that includes East Cobb, North Fulton and Sandy Springs and North DeKalb. Those political dynamics figure to be affected by reapportionment later this year.

The East Cobb area remains a GOP stronghold in a 6th District that has been trending Democratic elsewhere.

Most recently Evans has advocated for counting “only legal votes” during the 2020 presidential election. He also supports and defends election reforms passed by the Republican-led legislature that led to Major League Baseball moving this year’s All-Star Game away from Truist Park.

Evans resigned from the ethics commission on June 30 after five years amid speculation of a Congressional run.

He’s from Lithia Springs and earned a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Georgia.

A newlywed, he and his wife Bayley, also an attorney, live in Cobb County.

“As the representative for the 6th District, I’ll fight for Georgia, not against it like the radical Left,” Evans said, “and we’ll once against have a conservative voice in Congress who has the courage to stand up to the Woke Mob and Cancel Culture and to fight for the conservative principles that made America the greatest country on earth.”

Ex-Ga. legislator announces 6th Congressional District run

July 12, 2021 2:40 PMJuly 12, 2021 8:35 AM by Wendy Parker

Former Georgia State Rep. Meagan Hanson on Monday announced her campaign for the 6th District Congressional seat. Meagan Hanson, 6th Congressional District candidate

Hanson, an attorney who represented Brookhaven in the legislature from 2017-18, is a Republican who said in a release she’s running on a conservative platform to counter a House Democratic majority that includes two-term 6th District incumbent U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath.

The 6th District includes East Cobb, North Fulton, Sandy Springs and North DeKalb.

“With the direction our country is going, the America I had growing up will not be the same America my kids will live in. I’m not content to watch this nation’s promise slip away,” Hanson said in a campaign release. “We need a Congresswoman who will fight for Georgia’s families, not Nancy Pelosi’s radical agenda. I’ll work every day to lower taxes, end out-of-control government spending, and get America back on track.”

Her campaign website can be found by clicking here.

Hanson is an attorney who is the executive director of Georgians for Lawsuit Reform, an arm of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and is a conservative commentator and lobbyist.

She said her priorities include curbing government spending, strengthening border controls, boosting law enforcement resources and fighting what she calls “the radical left agenda and cancel culture.”

“Conservative values aren’t just a talking point for me. They are what I’ve been fighting for my entire life,” she said in the statement. “With liberals like Lucy McBath in office, our communities have felt the full force of the left’s wish list: higher taxes, bigger government, more crime, a crisis at our border, and a radical cancel culture movement that has cost our local economy over $100 million. I’ve never backed down—and I’m ready for this fight because my family’s future, and the future of those in our community, depend on it.”

McBath is one of two Congressional Democrats from metro Atlanta who are targets for GOP pickups in the 2022 elections.

She unseated Republican U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in 2018, then defeated Handel again in 2020.

But a major factor factor in 2022 figures to be Congressional redistricting. The East Cobb area remains a GOP stronghold in a 6th District that has been trending Democratic elsewhere.

For now, Hanson, a resident of Sandy Springs, is the only Republican specifically running in the 6th District. Eric Welsh, a retired Army officer and former Coca-Cola Co. executive, announced his candidacy in May, but on July 1 announced his withdrawal.

No Democrats have announced for the 6th District seat.

Kemp touts Georgia’s ‘resilience’ in response to COVID-19

April 12, 2021 3:52 PM by Wendy Parker

Kemp Georgia COVID-19 response

Still chastened by Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star Game away from nearby Truist Park, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told a Cobb Chamber of Commerce audience Monday that the Atlanta Braves were also robbed on the field Sunday night.

“The refs screwed us at the Braves game Sunday night,” Kemp said, a reference to a controversial ninth-inning run by the Philadelphia Phillies that was upheld on a video review, and turned out to be the game-winner.

Kemp quickly moved on to assessing the state of the state, and especially its economic recovery and COVID-19 response, during the Cobb Chamber’s annual meeting at the Cobb Galleria.

During an appearance Saturday at AJ’s Famous Seafood and Poboys in East Cobb, Kemp blamed Democrats for MLB’s relocation of the All-Star Game due to Georgia’s disputed new election law.

On Monday, he defended the law and said the All-Star Game decision was “misguided.”

But “despite the actions by some to torpedo economic growth in the Peach State,” Kemp said, he’ll be eager to sign a new law providing tax incentives for Georgia companies that manufacture personal protective equipment.

The benefits of such measures, he insisted during a luncheon speech, “will expand opportunities for citizens across our state . . . . despite measures to try to divide us.”

(You can watch Kemp’s full address by clicking here; his remarks begin at the 37-minute mark.)

He said Georgians have “overcome a lot together and our future is bright.” While challenges remain, “I have never been more optimistic because we on our way to defeating the virus and returning to normal in the Peach State.

“Our resilience as Georgians has carried us this far,” Kemp said.

As of Monday afternoon, there have been more than 862,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia since March 2020, and more than 17,000 deaths.

In Cobb County, there have been more than 59,000 cases and 932 deaths, the second-highest total in the state.

Kemp applauded Cobb officials and the Georgia National Guard for quarantining passengers from a California cruise ship at the start of the pandemic.

He said while some states wouldn’t take their own citizens for quarantine at the time, “this community stepped up. This is who we are as a state.”

Georgia was one of the first states to begin lifting COVID restrictions last April, and Kemp said the state is on the road to a strong economic recovery as a result.

The state has maintained its AAA bond rating, and in the recent legislative session major budget cuts were avoided and some funding was restored to areas such as education, public safety and health care.

A tax cut with a reduction in the standard deduction was also enacted this year, and Kemp said he also was proud of reforms to the state’s citizens arrest law.

Cobb commissioner: All-Star Game ‘an opportunity that’s lost’

April 3, 2021 11:05 AM by Wendy Parker

Newly elected Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson had plenty of reasons to be pumped for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game coming to Truist Park in July.

The midsummer event was set to be staged in the heart of her District 2, which stretches from East Cobb to parts of Smyrna.

County leaders—government, business and community—had been eyeing the extravaganza as a vehicle for economic development in the aftermath of COVID-19 as well as civic pride four years after the Atlanta Braves moved to Cobb.

And as part of an historic black female Democratic majority on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Richardson was eager to demonstrate the political and cultural evolution taking place in a county long known for deeply conservative, mostly white elected officials.

But Major League Baseball’s decision on Friday to relocate the game due to Georgia’s new elections law dashed all those aspirations.

“We’re obviously not happy at all, Richardson said in an interview with East Cobb News. “I wanted to use this as an opportunity to show leadership.”

Instead, she said, “it’s an opportunity that’s lost.”

On Friday, she stood by Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, the county’s first black and first female head of government, who had tried to keep the game in Cobb.

Opponents of the law, passed by a Republican-majority legislature, said it amounts to voter suppression, and on Wednesday President Joe Biden called for the game to be moved. He said the new law in Georgia, a state he barely won in November, is “Jim Crow on steroids.”

Richardson said that while there some parts of the law she likes and others she does not, trouble arises “when you choose division.”

She said that “the people who were most impacted by that bill were not listened to. You can’t solve anything when people aren’t talking to each other.”

The pitched rhetoric over the new law, she said, reminded her of previous political battles in Georgia, including the state flag, and of an anti-gay resolution by Cobb commissioners in the early 1990s that resulted in the county losing Olympic events.

During a transformational time in the county, to be deprived of what Richardson said would have been Cobb’s biggest event ever “is a lost chance to elevate the kind of conversations we need to have.”

Cobb County loses Major League Baseball All-Star Game

April 2, 2021 5:52 PMApril 2, 2021 3:45 PM by Wendy Parker

Major League Baseball announced Friday that it was moving the 2021 All-Star Game from Truist Park in Cobb County because of a controversial new Georgia elections law.

Despite the protestations of Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid earlier this week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement that “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”

You can read the full statement here. The MLB statement said the baseball draft also scheduled for Truist Park is being moved. A new city for both events in mid-July has not been announced.

The relocation decision comes a week after the Georgia legislature passed sweeping changes to elections laws that opponents said amount to voter suppression.

On two separate occasions this week, Cupid implored MLB to keep the game at Truist Park, and on Wednesday met with the head of the MLB players’ union.

A Democrat who is Cobb’s first black head of government, Cupid also opposes the new elections law. But she lamented comments from President Joe Biden calling it “Jim Crow on steroids” and his demands to move the game from Georgia.

The law was passed by a Republican-dominated legislature and was quickly signed by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, and has been roundly denounced by Democratic and voting-rights interests.

The new law adds identification requirements for mailed ballots, restricts the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, requires more advanced voting across the state and shortens runoff elections.

The legislature also has oversight of proposed changes to election rules by the Secretary of State and state elections board.

Republicans had tried to eliminate no-excuse absentee voting and early voting on Sundays, but those were dropped from the final bill.

Cupid said Thursday that “I would be open to a discussion with the President and others about alternative actions that would channel our frustration into an opportunity to use this event as a chance to openly discuss this legislation, voter participation, and inclusion and then find an applicable response.”

That proved to be too little, too late, as political pressure accelerated following Biden’s comments.

Cobb County government spokesman Ross Cavitt said Cupid would respond to the All-Star decision later Friday afternoon.

The Braves issued a statement saying the club is “deeply disappointed” with moving the game, and that “unfortunately, businesses, employees and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision.”

The Braves, who last hosted the All-Star Game at Turner Field in 1999, were going to use this year’s game to honor the legacy of home run king Henry Aaron, who died in January.

“The Braves organization will continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion,” the statement said.

“Our city has always been known as a uniter in divided times and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community.”

The Cobb County Republican Party posted a brief reaction on its Facebook page Friday afternoon, saying that “MLB doesn’t just support stealing bases…they apparently support stealing votes!”

The Cobb Democratic Party responded by saying that “blame for this lies solely at the feet of Governor Kemp and the Georgia GOP for supporting anti-American, anti-democratic legislation. It’s a new day. Jim Crow 2.0 ain’t gonna fly.”

Kemp accused MLB of [caving] [in]to “fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies. Georgians—and all Americans—should fully understand what the MLB’s knee-jerk decision means: cancel culture and woke political activists are coming for every aspect of your life, sports included. If the left doesn’t agree with you, facts and the truth do not matter.”

He blamed the “repeated lies from Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams about a bill that expands access to the ballot box and ensures the integrity of our elections. I will not back down. Georgians will not be bullied.”

Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2016 who is considered a likely candidate to run against Kemp again next year, said she’s disappointed the All-Star Game is leaving Georgia.

“Georgians targeted by voter suppression will be hurt as opportunities go to other states. We should not abandon the victims of GOP malice and lies,” she said. “Georgia Republicans must renounce the terrible damage they have caused to our voting system and the harm they have inflicted on our economy.”

Cupid: Biden All-Star Game remarks send ‘unfortunate message’

April 1, 2021 4:07 PM by Wendy Parker

While the Atlanta Braves were playing their 2021 season opener Thursday afternoon, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid pushed back against calls from President Joe Biden to move the All-Star Game away from Truist Park.

The president said he “strongly supports” finding a new venue for the mid-July event because of the Georgia legislature’s recent changes to elections laws that have been sharply criticized by Democrats as voter suppression measures.

Cupid, the first black head of Cobb County government and its first Democratic chair in more than 35 years, has been among them. But she issued a statement that Biden’s comments send “an unfortunate message to those residents and businesses here who have supported him.”

Cupid met on Thursday with Tony Clark, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, who last week suggested moving the game.

In an interview with ESPN Wednesday, Biden said that “I think today’s professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that. People look to them. They’re leaders.”

In previous comments, Biden decried the new elections law, signed quickly after passage in a Republican-controlled legislature last week by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, as “Jim Crow on steroids.”

Kemp, who is up for re-election in 2022, lashed out at Biden, saying calls to move the All-Star Game are “ridiculous.”

In a statement issued by Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt, Cupid said that “I would be open to a discussion with the President and others about alternative actions that would channel our frustration into an opportunity to use this event as a chance to openly discuss this legislation, voter participation, and inclusion and then find an applicable response.”

The statement didn’t specify what any alternate actions might be.

Cupid said last week that losing the All-Star Game could hurt Cobb’s economic recovery from business closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic (see video below).

Leaders of major Atlanta-based corporations, including Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, have spoken out in recent days against the new elections law.

Last year’s shortened baseball season due to COVID-19 included no fans allowed in stadiums.

It was the fourth season at the Cobb County ballpark for the Braves, who reached the National League Championship Series and are among the contenders for the World Series this year.

The Braves have set a goal of allowing for full capacity—more than 40,000—by the time the All-Star Game rolls around. That event includes a homerun derby on Monday and the game between American League and National League all-stars on Tuesday.

The Braves will play their first homestand of the 2021 season next week with a 33 percent capacity, and said on Thursday that they will allow up to 50 percent capacity at Truist Park for the second homestand.

East Cobb Republicans vote for Ga. elections overhaul bill

March 25, 2021 7:54 PMMarch 25, 2021 4:22 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb absentee ballots

UPDATED:

The Georgia Senate approved SB 202 in a 34-20 party line vote. Republican State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick voted in favor, and the bill has been signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The four Republicans representing East Cobb in the Georgia House voted in favor of a bill on Thursday that would make sweeping changes to state elections laws.

It’s one of two omnibus elections bills that were up for votes in the Georgia General Assembly, with the 2021 legislative session drawing to a close.

Both bills, written by Republican lawmakers, would add identification requirements for mailed ballots, restrict the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, require more advanced voting across the state and shorten runoff elections.

The legislature also has oversight of proposed changes to election rules by the Secretary of State and state elections board.

Provisions in initial bills to scrap no-excuse absentee voting and Sunday voting were taken out of the omnibus bills, called the Election Integrity Act of 2021.

The House vote on SB 202 Thursday (you can read it here) was 100-75, along mostly partisan lines. GOP Reps. John Carson, Sharon Cooper, Matt Dollar and Don Parsons, who represent East Cobb districts, voted with the majority.

The only Democrat with an East Cobb constituency, Mary Frances Williams, voted against.

In Cobb County, 16 drop boxes were located around the county for absentee ballots. But the legislation would limit those drop boxes to early voting locations only while the polls are open.

Also, anyone requesting an absentee ballot would have to do so no later than 11 days before an election, and the Secretary of State would not be able to send out unsolicited absentee ballot applications, as was done in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another provision of the bill would forbid anyone from providing food and water for people standing in line to vote.

The Senate was scheduled to take up SB 202 as well as the other omnibus elections bill, HB 531 (you can read it here). There are two legislative days left, with the session set to end March 31.

In a vote on an earlier elections bill, SB 241, Republican State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb was excused. She was only one of three GOP senators who did not co-sponsor the legislation, which was opposed by Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

After last year’s elections prompted major wins for Democrats—including the presidential race and both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races—the Republican-led legislative session has been dominated by elections bills.

In many races, absentee votes went overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, while Republicans did better with advanced and election-day in-person voting.

Some Republicans charged election fraud, especially in the presidential race, which Democrat Joe Biden won by less than 12,000 votes.

Democrats and voting-rights groups have blasted the omnibus bills as examples of voter suppression.

But Republicans say overhauls are necessary to restore integrity and trust in elections.

Related coverage

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Secretary of State certifies Georgia Senate runoff results

January 19, 2021 2:03 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb precinct votes Senate runoffs

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday certified Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock as the winners of the Jan. 5 runoffs for the U.S. Senate.

Ossoff and Warnock are set to be sworn in in Washington on Wednesday, the same day Democratic former vice president Joe Biden takes the oath as the 46th president of the United States.

Ossoff and Warnock defeated Republican incumbent senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively, by very close margins, but not within the margin for a recount.

Ossoff received 2,269,923 votes, or 50.61 percent, to 2,214,979 votes for Perdue, or 49.39 percent, in winning a six-year term.

A former 6th Congressional District candidate, Ossoff will become Georgia’s first Jewish senator and at age 33, he will be the youngest member of the Senate.

In a special election to fill the remaining two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term, Warnock received 2,289,113 votes, or 51.04 percent, to 2,195,841 votes for Loeffler, or 48.96 percent.

The minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Warnock will become Georgia’s first black senator.

In Cobb County, Ossoff and Warnock both won with roughly 56 percent of the vote, although East Cobb voters favored Perdue and Loeffler.

The elections of Ossoff and Warnock will make the U.S. Senate 50-50 in party composition. Ties can be broken by outgoing California Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice president-elect, who will serve as the President of the Senate.

She resigned her Senate seat Monday, and Alex Padilla, a Democrat who is California’s Secretary of State, has been appointed to fill the final two years of her term.

NBC News is reporting that the new Georgia senators will be sworn in by Harris on Wednesday afternoon.

The Senate has already begun confirmation hearings for Biden cabinet appointments, and plans are tentative regarding a possible impeachment trial for outgoing President Donald Trump.

Related coverage

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McBath recaps accomplishments after 1st term in Congress

January 14, 2021 2:03 PMJanuary 14, 2021 8:57 AM by Wendy Parker

U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

Submitted information:

This morning, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) released her accomplishments of the 116^th Congress. As a freshman member in the U.S. House of Representatives, McBath had multiple pieces of legislation signed into law by the President, secured millions of dollars for the Sixth District, and assisted thousands of constituents with their federal cases. Her bill to serve veterans experiencing financial hardship was deemed the “biggest bill” passed by a first-term member. During her first two years in office, she was described as “an effective lawmaker” and “one of the House Democratic Caucus’ most important voices.”

“Each and every day we are called upon to serve our communities in Congress – that is what this work is about. They are trusting us to do everything we can to advocate and legislate on their behalf,” said McBath. “I am so proud of the work we did to return millions of hard earned dollars to constituents throughout the district, to have conversations with our friends and neighbors at town halls and community events, and to have multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation signed into law. Truly, this work is about serving my community in Congress, and I look forward to continuing that work to solve problems, connect with people, and create policy to help serve our fellow Americans.”

During the 116^th Congress, McBath:

Held 15 town halls and more than 200 community events

Led 4 pieces of legislation signed into law by the President

Returned $3,177,683 in earned benefits to constituents

Secured $5,605,400 in federal grant funding

Resolved 3,069 constituent casework inquiries – many shared their stories.

Responded to 76,178 phone calls and letters

Sponsored and cosponsored 325 bills

Nominated 62 students to U.S. Service Academies

Since being sworn into her first term on January 3, 2019, McBath has championed bipartisanship and has prioritized causes to help Georgia families, veterans, and small businesses, including:

Securing $500 million for the CDC to help fight public health crises. After learning of budget cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reading a CDC-released report outlining the immediate need for improved public health data systems to fight ‘life-threatening epidemics,’ McBath led the bill to help modernize the CDC. The $500 million to help identify, track, and respond to pandemics and other public health crises was secured as part of a COVID-19 relief package.

Voting for vital federal coronavirus relief. McBath voted to pass the bipartisan CARES Act that helped deliver tens of millions in federal funding to Georgia’s Sixth District for small business and Paycheck Protection Program funding, safety initiatives at local schools to help keep students and teachers healthy, rent assistance for struggling families, and hazard pay for frontline workers.

Introducing legislation signed into law to keep our children safe, set them up for educational success, and support our qualified child care providers. The Child Care Protection Improvement Act creates an inter-agency task force to identify barriers in background check completion and recommend best practices to overcoming them. Interstate background checks have been particularly challenging with no streamlined processes for conducting background checks across state lines.

Sponsoring legislation signed into law encouraging humanitarian innovation. The bill expands programs designed to encourage inventors to pursue their life-saving ideas and create new, global humanitarian solutions. By increasing the power of the program, it gives entrepreneurs more freedom to support one another as they aim to serve our world.

Creating the first annual Summer Storytime Program for Georgia’s Sixth District. Over the course of the summer, McBath read evening stories to children virtually, and each Sunday, hundreds of children, families, and community members tuned in to watch and were encouraged to read along together.

Leading legislation to protect students at for-profit institutions after the closure of Argosy University in the Sixth District. McBath heard from concerned students across the Sixth District in early 2019 as news broke that Argosy University would be closing its doors, leaving more than a thousand individuals without a degree or chance of loan repayment. Additional legislation led by McBath allows for Pell Grant restoration in cases where students were misled, and was included in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act with several additional bills led by McBath.

Successfully advocating for bipartisan legislation to examine the social disparities affecting black males in America. McBath signed on as a cosponsor and took personal interest in the bill because of the hateful manner in which her son, Jordan, and so many black men and boys are taken from their families. The bill, signed into law in August 2020, establishes a commission to annually report on the current societal conditions affecting black men and boys and make recommendations to the president and to Congress. Alongside the bipartisan leaders of the bill, McBath successfully advocated for the bill to be signed into law.

Working to make college more accessible and affordable. Language McBath introduced was included in the omnibus package to make Pell Grants easier and more generous for prospective students, as well as simplifying and accelerating the FAFSA and federal aid eligibility process.

Building safer and more secure communities. McBath helped procure $85 million for grants to improve the NICS firearms background check system, $6.7 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.

Writing bipartisan legislation signed by President Trump to protect disability payments for veterans facing financial hardship. President Trump signed H.R. 2938, the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, into law in August 2019. This bipartisan legislation stands up for veterans by amending current bankruptcy law and supporting disabled veterans’ eligibility for relief during financial hardship. Read more from Military.com.

Securing a $5 million federal grant for the Akers Mill Ramp Project to improve transportation infrastructure. McBath requested the grant in a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and it was awarded to Cobb County and the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID). In June 2019, McBath spoke directly with the Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation to request the Department’s support for the project. Despite bipartisan support in 2016 and 2018, three previous attempts to secure federal funding for the project failed.

Helping local synagogue Temple Emanu-El secure a safety improvement grant to modernize security and protect a community gathering place. McBath announced in November 2019 that a federal grant had been awarded to Temple Emanu-El of Greater Atlanta by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security. The grant provided $75,000 to help keep Temple congregants and community members safe by updating security, replacing insufficient lighting, and addressing a lack of visibility. McBath offered her endorsement of the Temple’s grant application in early June. The grant award was received by the Temple after several unsuccessful petitions in recent years. “We have worked for years to make our facility more secure and welcoming and appreciate Congresswoman McBath’s office’s help in securing new funds for us to further enhance our physical security in response to rising anti-Semitic threats,” said Robert Wittenstein, President of Temple Emanu-El.

Securing $25 million in gun violence prevention research funding to find solutions to prevent gun deaths. The important firearm injury and mortality prevention research funding, the first in two decades, authorizes life-saving initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, including critical projects at the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Chamblee to improve understanding of the solutions to prevent gun deaths.

Leading the passage of the first bipartisan gun purchase background check bill, H.R. 8. A Member of the House Judiciary Committee, McBath helped lead the passage of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act as one of her first actions in office. The passage of the historic gun violence prevention bill marked the first time Congress passed a bill to ensure that all firearm sales be subject to background checks.

Passing the USMCA, a new trade agreement to help businesses thrive. McBath voted to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement is supported by both the business community and organized labor, and will benefit American businesses, workers, and the economy.

Co-sponsoring and passing H.R.3 to lower prescription drug prices for seniors.The Lower Drug Costs Now Act will help bring down the cost of prescription drugs and level the playing field for American patients who are paying more for their medicines than patients in other countries. The comprehensive health care legislation included McBath’s bill to cover hearing aids for Medicare beneficiaries. Those living with cancer, arthritis, asthma, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis are expected to experience significant savings as a result of the bill. While the bill passed the House with bipartisan support, it has yet to be taken up by the Senate.

Fighting for $310 million in Highway Funding for Georgia as part of a commitment to secure transportation funding. In November 2019, McBath voted to save $310 million in highway funding for Georgia in the continuing budget resolution approved by the House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote, after previously urging House leadership to repeal the proposed rescission of a total of $7.6 billion in highway funding.

Members of the community who are in need of federal casework assistance can contact McBath’s office at (470) 773-6330.

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How East Cobb voted in the U.S. Senate runoffs, by precinct

August 25, 2021 2:24 PMJanuary 8, 2021 3:51 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb precinct votes Senate runoffs

With just a few hundred votes left to account for in Cobb County, here are the latest results in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate runoff elections.

On Thursday, Cobb Elections broke down what’s left to be done this way:

Absentee Ballots being adjudicated – less than 100
Valid Provisional Ballots – up to 682
Overseas ballots received by Friday – up to 1089
Signature Cures received by Friday – up to 325
Those ballots deemed valid will be uploaded to the state system on Saturday.

The statewide results show Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock with narrow victories over Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.

As of 3 p.m. Friday, Ossoff has received 2,252,599 votes statewide, with 2,207,626 for Perdue, or 50.5 to 49.5 percent.

In the other Senate runoff, Warnock has 2,271,672 votes to 2,188,610 for Loeffler, or 50.93 to 49.07 percent.

Neither of those margins is within the 0.5 percent that would allow a recount under Georgia law.

Once the results are certified by the state, the new senators will be sworn into office. For the time being, Loeffler remains Georgia’s only senator, since Perdue’s term expired on Dec. 31.

Ossoff, who will be the youngest member of the Senate at age , will serve a six-year term. Warnock will serve out the remaining two years of the term won in 2016 by retired Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Both of Georgia’s new senators will be making their debuts in public office.

Loeffler conceded defeat on Thursday, and late Friday Perdue did the same. These are unofficial results and have not yet been certified, which must take place by Jan. 22.

In Cobb County, Ossoff and Warnock both won with roughly 56 percent of the vote. The last update was Wednesday.

Ossoff got 200,557 votes to 157,470 for Perdue in Cobb; Warnock has 203,426 votes to 154,531 votes for Loeffler.

Cobb’s results are expected to be certified by next Thursday, Jan. 14.

East Cobb precinct vote Senate runoffs — *Click the links for details of Cobb precinct maps (Democrats in turquoise and Republicans in blue): **Perdue-Ossoff** at left; **Loeffler-Warnock** at right.*

In East Cobb, the Republicans won most of the precincts, but the Democrats picked up 40 percent of the vote or more in most of them, which is a significant gain in what has been a GOP stronghold.

We’ve broken down the precinct vote in East Cobb as shown below, with an asterisk noting the precinct winner.

	Perdue	Ossoff	Loeffler	Warnock
Addison	894	934*	891	936*
Bells Ferry 2	1,069*	1,024	1,059*	1,035
Bells Ferry 3	692	784*	686	790*
Blackwell	842	1,027*	839	1,029*
Chattahoochee	816	2,446*	807	2,453*
Chestnut Ridge	1,507*	1,107	1,477*	1,136
Davis	823*	720	806*	735
Dickerson	1,256*	1,020	1,224*	1,047
Dodgen	953*	722	934*	738
East Piedmont	692	977*	674	1,001*
Eastside 1	1,407*	1,056	1,386*	1,073
Eastside 2	1,810*	1,412	1,762*	1,459
Elizabeth 2	936*	786	917*	804
Elizabeth 3	1,175*	916	1,144*	946
Elizabeth 4	674	1,181*	653	1,198*
Elizabeth 5	1,108*	1,050	1,086*	1,070
Fullers Park	1,456*	1,215	1,420*	1,248
Garrison Mill	1,215*	984	1,190*	1,010
Gritters	1,442*	1,270	1,416*	1,291
Hightower	1,848*	1,490	1,822*	1,511
Kell	815*	631	798*	644
Lassiter	1,605*	1,167	1,571*	1,197
Mabry	875*	467	858*	483
McCleskey	790*	578	778*	590
Marietta 6A	284	1,018*	282	1,021*
Marietta 6B	962	1,155*	934	1,183*
Mt. Bethel 1	1,910*	1,420	1,868*	1,455
Mt. Bethel 3	1,364*	1,161	1,329*	1,192
Mt. Bethel 4	1,393*	963	1,353*	998
Murdock	1,774*	1,452	1,744*	1,481
Nicholson	896*	775	878*	793
Pope	1,332*	1,081	1,309*	1,104
Post Oak	1,734*	1,132	1,711*	1,155
Powers Ferry	1,115	1,184*	1,097	1,197*
Rocky Mount	1,390*	1,103	1,360*	1,134
Roswell 1	2,470*	1,892	2,408*	1,952
Roswell 2	1,670*	1,321	1,631*	1,353
Sandy Plains	1,083*	1,081	1,062	1,102*
Sewell Mill 1	1,353*	1,317	1,310	1,360*
Sewell Mill 3	1,168	1,608*	1,140	1,639*
Shallowford Falls	1,555*	1,155	1,530*	1,182
Simpson	761*	669	739*	687
Sope Creek 1	1,020*	745	998*	764
Sope Creek 2	1,728*	1,690	1,694	1,728*
Sope Creek 3	1,273*	894	1,242*	926
Terrell Mill	967	2,165*	939	2,195*
Timber Ridge	1,123*	882	1,088*	915
Willeo	1,320*	949	1,292*	978

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New Cobb Commission Chairwoman Cupid takes oath of office

January 7, 2021 6:00 PM by Wendy Parker

Lisa Cupid, Cobb Commission Chair candidate

After a long line of speakers—more than two hours’ worth—had come before her, new Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid offered brief remarks Thursday at her official swearing-in ceremony.

“Everything that could be shared has been shared,” Cupid said at the Cobb County Civic Center.

Other elected officials, business and community leaders and members of her family took the podium before her.

Cupid, who for two terms was the sole Democratic commissioner representing District 4 in South Cobb, officially became the head of government on Jan. 1, after defeating former chairman Mike Boyce in November.

“I never thought this would be in the cards for me,” Cupid said of her career in politics and public service. “But I am so grateful and honored and humbled.”

As she was listening to the other speakers, Cupid said, “my heart was filled with love. And anybody who knows me know I never want to let those I love down. I kept hearing all these people who were expressing love and I don’t want to let you or any citizen of Cobb County down.”

During her campaign, she ran on a platform of “moving the county forward” by expanding relationships and partnerships across broader sections of Cobb County.

She will lead an all-female, five-member Cobb Board of Commissioners that will have a black Democratic majority.

Cupid is the first woman and the first African-American to lead the county government. Two of her predecessors, both Republicans, spoke on her behalf.

“The voters couldn’t have made a better choice for a difficult time,” said Bill Byrne, who served as chairman in the 1990s and ran unsuccessfully against then-chairman Tim Lee in 2012.

“Cobb needs her today more than any chairman in the past. She has the focus, the ability and the support to do that.”

Sam Olens, who was the chairman when Cupid was first elected, noted how she’s the latest in a long line of elected officials in Cobb who’ve come from somewhere else.

“Cobb is a community open to new ideas and new leadership,” Olens said. “She desires to make a difference and she will.”

Cupid is a native of Michigan who earned an engineering degree at Georgia Tech, then stayed to attend graduate and law school and is raising two sons she and her husband are home-schooling.

“I’ve always had people supporting me, to help get me on this path,” Cupid said after taking the oath of office.

Let’s all help to remove that burden and weight together,” she said. “Nobody here can shoulder all the work that it’s going to take for us to continue to move this county forward.

“It always has been and always continue to be about teamwork.”

Cupid will preside over her first public meetings as chairwoman next Tuesday during a business meeting that starts at 9 a.m.

You can view the agenda by clicking here.

McBath ‘safe’ after U.S. Capitol attack; Kemp condemns violence

January 7, 2021 1:14 PMJanuary 6, 2021 7:17 PM by Wendy Parker

6th District Congresswoman Lucy McBath said Wednesday afternoon that “my staff and I are safe” after supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington and clashed with police.
U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

The Marietta Democrat, who recently was sworn in for a second term, didn’t indicate in a Facebook message whether she was in the House chamber as members of Congress were going through the process of certifying Electoral College results in the presidential election.

Their deliberations were interrupted as pro-Trump protesters broke into the Capitol, including both the House and Senate chambers.

They had been attending a “Save America” rally to reject the Electoral College results, which gave the Nov. 3 presidential victory to Democratic former vice president Joe Biden.

A group of Republican senators, including Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, were lodging objections, but members of Congress, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, were evacuated.

“The actions of those seeking to overturn the will of the people are dangerous and destructive, but they will not succeed,” McBath said in her statement.

Loeffler, who lost her runoff election Tuesday to Democrat Raphael Warnock, posted a brief message Wednesday evening saying that “violence is abhorrent and I strongly condemn today’s attacks on our Capitol. We must stand united as one nation under God. I’m grateful for our brave men and women of law enforcement.”

Some members of the House were seen hiding as police attempted to barricade protesters from entering, with some law enforcement drawing guns.

Protesters were seen smashing windows attempting to get into the Capitol, and police responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. The building was eventually placed on lockdown, and a 6 p.m. curfew was ordered by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

News reports said a woman who was shot inside the Capitol later died, but it wasn’t initially known who she was. Several other people were injured, according to news reports, but details are sketchy.

Protesters made themselves at home in the Congressional chambers, and one was seen sitting in a desk in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Trump eventually told protesters to go home, but he continued to insist the presidential election was stolen and that he won in a landslide.

On social media he also blasted Pence, who said he didn’t have the authority to reject the electoral votes of states.

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump wrote on his Twitter account. “USA demands the truth!”

In a subsequent message, McBath said she would be requesting Pence invoke the 25th Amendment “and begin the process of removing President Trump from office.

“The eyes of the world are upon us, and the President’s incitement of violence, his inducement of chaos, and his inability to faithfully ‘discharge the powers and duties of his office’ make it clear. The President has refused to protect our democracy and must be removed.”

In Atlanta, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and some of his elections officials were evacuated from the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday, and Gov. Brian Kemp and other state Republican leaders condemned the violence in Washington.

Both had come under fire from Trump, who demanded they resign for not intervening to overturn Georgia’s presidential election results in favor of Biden.

Kemp said of Wednesday’s violence that “this is absolutely disgraceful and un-American, and must stop immediately. The rule of law matters.”

Trump and his supporters had wanted a special legislative session in Georgia to address the election results. Kemp said Wednesday that “you can now see what that would have looked like.”

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, an East Cobb Republican, said “it’s a sad day for our country. There’s no excuse for violence. We are all Americans. In the words of Ronald Reagan, ‘Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.’ ”

Congress returned to session to take up the Electoral College certification, and Loeffler withdrew her objections.

“I cannot now, in good conscience, object to this certification,” she said on the Senate floor.

In a joint session overnight Thursday, Congress certified Biden’s election by a 306-232 vote, with Pence presiding.

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Election update: Cobb has nearly 6K absentee votes to count

January 6, 2021 1:32 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Absentee Ballot Envelope

Cobb Elections said Wednesday morning that a total of 5,896 absentee ballots are being scanned today that came in by Tuesday’s 7 p.m. deadline.

That activity is taking place at Jim Miller Park.

The results will be posted at the Georgia Secretary of State’s office at this link.

The last Cobb Senate runoff update was at 11:44 p.m. Tuesday. It showed Democrat Jon Ossoff with 195,600 votes in Cobb County to 155,245 votes for Republican Sen. David Perdue, a margin of 55.75-44.25 percent.

In the other runoff, Democrat Raphael Warnock received 198,376 votes in Cobb County to 152,409 for Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, or 56.55 percent to 43.45 percent.

Most East Cobb precincts went for the Republican candidates.

Another 668 provisional ballots are being investigated in Cobb County, and those determined to be valid will be uploaded by Saturday. Any overseas ballots must be received by Friday.

Other Georgia counties, mostly in metro Atlanta, also are finishing absentee ballot counting, and those figures are expected to benefit the Democratic candidates who have been declaring victory.

As of 12:50 p.m. Wednesday, Ossoff led Perdue by 17,567 votes across the state. Although no news outlet has called that race, Ossoff has declared victory.

Ossoff’s margin for now is 50.2 percent to 49.8 percent for Perdue.

Late Tuesday night, Warnock declared victory over Loeffler. The latest results show him with a lead of 54,729 votes, and 50.6 percent of the vote, to her 49.3 percent.

Neither Perdue nor Loeffler has conceded as of Wednesday afternoon.

A losing candidate can request a recount if the final margin is 0.5 percent or less.

Before the runoffs, Republicans held 50 seats in the Senate and Democrats 48. If current results hold, the Senate would effectively become controlled by Democrats.

That’s because the vice president—the president of the Senate—can vote to break ties, and that will soon be Democrat Kamala Harris.

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Ga. Senate races too close to call; Democrats lead in Cobb

January 6, 2021 12:03 AMJanuary 5, 2021 7:01 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia Senate runoff election day

Real-time updated results

UPDATED, 11:55 P.M.

With 100 percent of Cobb’s election-day voting reported, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock received 55 and 56 percent of the county vote, respectively.

Those tallies were added to a statewide total that remains too close to call, with substantial absentee voting to be counted, especially in Democratic-heavy metro Atlanta.

As of now, Republican Sen. David Perdue holds a lead over Ossoff of less than 2,000 votes across Georgia, while Warnock leads Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler by a little more than 35,000 votes.

That’s with 98 percent of election-day, early voting and early absentee votes counted.

Some national media outlets have called the latter election for Warnock, but have not made any such calls on the other.

In East Cobb, the Republican candidates were leading in most precincts, after the Democrats were head early based on strong absentee ballot results.

GOP voters flipped the results with strong turnout on election day, as well as in-person early voting.

Absentee voting will continue into Wednesday in Cobb County. Final results are expected to be announced next week.

UPDATED, 10:20 P.M.:

Perdue and Loeffler hold slight leads statewide, but Ossoff and Warnock lead in Cobb with 55-56 percent of the vote and 44 percent of the votes counted. In East Cobb, the precincts are roughly split for now, and many of them are very close.

The rest of metro Atlanta, like Cobb, has not fully reported, and they strongly favor the Democrats: Gwinnett 60 percent; Fulton 72 percent and DeKalb 80 percent of the vote for the time being.

Across the state, 80 percent of the vote is in, including nearly 130 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

UPDATED, 8:30 P.M.:

With 16 percent of the statewide vote reporting, all three Democrats on the runoff ballot—Ossoff, Warnock and Blackman—lead the Republican incumbents with between 53 and 55 percent of the vote.

Only 30 counties out of 159 and 266 precincts out of 2,656 have fully reported.

Initial results from Cobb County have the Democratic candidates with 65-66 percent, but those are absentee ballots only.

You can also check precinct totals for each of the three races.

ORIGINAL POST, 7:01 P.M.:

The polls have closed in Georgia, and the counting has begun for the runoffs for both U.S. Senate seats and a seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Republican Sen. David Perdue is facing Democrat Jon Ossoff for a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

Kelly Loeffler, a Republican appointed in 2020 by Gov. Brian Kemp, is being challenged by Democrat Raphael Warnock in a race to fill the final two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.

Daniel Blackman is aiming to become the only Democrat on the Georgia PSC in a runoff against longtime Republican incumbent Bubba McDonald.

Voters who were in line by 7 p.m. Tuesday will be able to vote. Absentee ballots must have been received by Cobb Elections—including at designated drop boxes—by 7 p.m.

According to a message from Cobb County Government late Tuesday afternoon, “No major issues or lines were reported today. Some lines formed before the precincts opened, and there were some shorter lines during the lunch hour, but most voters reported little or no waiting.”

Absentee ballots are being processed at the Jim R. Miller Park Event Center, and that work is expected to continue into Wednesday.

The first returns have come in—a combination of early, absentee and election-day voting—and Ossoff leads Perdue 53-46 percent. Perdue has more early and election-day votes, while Ossoff easily has more absentee votes.

Perdue leads in around 30 mostly rural counties, while Ossoff leads in four.

The other senate runoff has similar results, with Warnock leading Loeffler 54-46 percent.

East Cobb News will update this post all evening and into early Wednesday. Certification of results is not expected until next week.

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Loeffler objects to Electoral College certification process

January 5, 2021 1:25 PMJanuary 5, 2021 8:24 AM by Wendy Parker

The day before her runoff election, U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler said Monday she would be among the Republicans objecting to the Electoral College certification process that takes place in Congress on Wednesday.

Loeffler, who is facing Democrat Raphael Warnock in Tuesday’s runoff, appeared with President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Dalton on Monday.

Before that, her office released the following statement from her:

“Elections are the bedrock of our democracy and the American people deserve to be 100% confident in our election system and its outcomes. But right now, tens of millions of Americans have real concerns about the way in which the November Presidential election was conducted — and I share their concerns.

“The American people deserve a platform in Congress, permitted under the Constitution, to have election issues presented so that they can be addressed. That’s why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process. I have also already introduced legislation to establish a commission to investigate election irregularities and recommend election integrity measures, which I will be working to get passed in the Senate. We must restore trust, confidence and integrity in our election system.”

Loeffler’s statement said she will be objecting individually, and not as part of a group of Republican senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas who have supported Trump’s claims of election fraud, including in Georgia.

Over the weekend, Trump spoke to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to “find” 11,780 votes, the difference in the certified state results won by Democratic president-elect Joe Biden.

On Monday, Gabriel Sterling, a top elections aide to Raffensperger, said at a news conference that Trump continues to engage in “misinformation” and “disinformation” about presidential voting in Georgia.

He urged Georgia voters who believe their vote isn’t being counted to make sure they vote in the runoffs.

“Throwing it away because you believe it doesn’t matter is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Sterling, a Republican.

At Monday’s rally in Dalton, Trump repeatedly claimed he won Georgia and the national election handily.

In November, Loeffler sponsored the Securing America’s Future Elections and Votes (SAFE Votes) Act that would create a bipartisan commission to review the 2020 election.

For the moment, Loeffler is Georgia’s only senator.

The term of Sen. David Perdue, a Republican in a runoff battle against Jon Ossoff, technically expired on Dec. 31, and he will not be able to take part in the Congressional Electoral College certification on Wednesday.

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