Cobb 2018 primaries

Cobb commission candidates forum slated for Tuesday

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This week may be your only occasion to hear all Cobb commission candidates in one place, in both parties, before the May 22 primaries.

There’s a forum sponsored by the Cobb County Civic Coalition Tuesday, and Democratic and Republican candidates for District 3 in Northeast Cobb and District 1 in North Cobb have been invited to attend. Cobb County Civic Coalition, Cobb commission candidates forum

The forum lasts from 7-9 p.m. and will be held on the second floor of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

That’s the meeting room for the Cobb Board of Commissioners, and if you can’t attend the forum it will be shown on the Cobb government access channel, TV 23 for Comcast subscribers.

The District 3 seat is being contested in both parties. Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell is seeking her third term.

She is being opposed by Tom Cheek, a civic activist who filed ethics complaints against former Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee for his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal. A software account manager, Cheek is a first-time candidate for public office.

On the Democratic side, two first-time candidates are running as well: retired Cobb water system employee James Smith, and Caroline Holko, a stay-at-home mother.

Here are the District 3 candidates websites:

Advance voting for the primaries begins on Monday, and Cobb Elections is looking for poll workers to help out on May 22 and beyond.

Here’s a rundown on East Cobb-area public offices that will be on the ballot, and we’ll have more shortly on those races that have contested primaries.

 

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Cobb Elections recruiting poll workers for primaries; advance voting starts Monday

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Less than a month remains before local, federal and state primary elections, and Cobb Elections is looking for individuals to work at the polls for the May primaries and beyond.Georgia State Senate special election

Advance voting begins on Monday at the Cobb Elections office in Marietta. The East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) will have advance voting the week of May 14-18.

According to Cobb Elections supervisor Janine Eveler, there are 144 precincts that will be in operation on May 22, the formal primary election day. Any runoffs will take place on July 24, and the general elections are Nov. 6.

Here’s more from her about how to apply to be a poll worker and how much you’ll be paid, including required training.

If you want to vote before May 22 or before the East Cobb advance voting week, you’ll have to go the Cobb Elections office (West Park Government Center, 736 Whitlock Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Friday between April 30 and May 18.

In addition, there will be Saturday advance voting on May 12 at the same location, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call Cobb Elections at 770-528-2581.

In case you missed it, here’s the Cobb consolidated ballot for the primaries, as well as customizable ballots for your precinct.

And here are the primary and general election candidates who’ve qualified in East Cobb races, from U.S. Congress, Georgia governor and other statewide positions to legislative, county commissioner, school board and county judgeships.

 

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Cobb sample ballots available for May 22 primaries; only a week left to register to vote

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Cobb sample ballots, 2018 primary

Voters in the May 22 primaries in Georgia can now get a sneak preview of whom they’ll be voting for. Countywide, consolidated Cobb sample ballots (Republican, Democratic and non-partisan) have been released by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.

Voters can also customize their own ballots by going to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office website, and choosing from one of those three ballot options.

If you request a Democratic ballot, you will find four non-binding questions added by the Democratic Party of Georgia to gauge the mood of party voters. They include whether they approve of the following:

  • requiring the sale of bump stocks on firearms;
  • support expansion of state Medicaid funding;
  • allow for the creation of an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission;
  • investing “a substantial amount” of tax dollars on mass transit.

Just a week remains for those who haven’t registered to vote to do so. The deadline to sign up online or in person is next Tuesday, April 24. Absentee balloting also is underway. To request a ballot, visit the Cobb Elections website or get more information by calling 770-528-2581.

Related coverage

The Cobb Republican Women’s Club is continuing candidate forums this week for a number of state, local and federal races (previous East Cobb News post here).

On Tuesday, the session includes candidates in several East Cobb-area legislative races. On Wednesday, the forums will include the contested GOP primary for District 3 of the Cobb Board of Commissioners between incumbent JoAnn Birrell and challenger Tom Cheek.

The forums last from 7-9 p.m. each evening in the Cobb Board of Commissioners 2nd floor meeting room, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta. TV coverage will be provided by Channel 23, the Cobb government cable access channel (on Comcast), as well as livestreaming at cobbcounty.org.

 

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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!