Voters head to polls Tuesday to elect new senator, congressman

Voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the Special Election set for Tuesday, June 19.

The election was called to fill both the unexpired term of United States Congressman Charlie Norwood, who passed away February 13, 2007, and the state senate seat of Jim Whitehead, who resigned his post to run for Norwood's seat.

The candidates for congressman from the 10th District of Georgia are Paul Broun (Republican), Denise Freeman (Democrat), Bill Greene (R), James Marlow (D), Mark Myers (R), Evita Paschall (D), Nate Pulliam (R), Jim Sendelbach (Libertarian), Erik M. Underwood (R), and Jim Whitehead (R).

Those running for the office of senator, representing the 24th District of Georgia, are Lee Benedict (R), William (Bill) Jackson (R), Brett McGuire (R), and Scott C. Nichols (D).

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Election Day.

Citizens are asked to present one of the 17 state-approved forms of identification at their polling place prior to voting. Acceptable forms of identification include:

.. A valid Georgia driver's license.

.. An identification card issued by the state or federal government.

.. A valid Social Security card. .. A valid United States passport.

.. A valid pilot's license.

.. A certified copy of one's birth certificate.

.. A valid employee I.D. with a photograph.

.. A valid college I.D. with a photograph.

.. A current utility bill or bank statement or a copy thereof, showing the name and address of the voter.

Those who do not have one of the approved forms of identification will be allowed to take an oath to attest to their identity.

Voters are reminded that while identification is requested, it is not required.

The polling places are as follows:

..Precinct 1-A - The building beside Midway Volunteer Fire Department on Midway Church Road, off of Highway 79.

.. Precinct 1-B - The Lincolnton Clubhouse on North Washington Street.

.. Precinct 2 - The Lincoln Center at 160 May Avenue.

.. Precinct 3-A - Faith Temple, which is situated at the intersection of the Thomson Highway and Leathersville Road.

.. Precinct 3-B - Tabernacle Baptist Church, located near the intersection of Highway 220 West and the Augusta Highway.

.. Precinct 4-A - Bethany United Methodist Church on Bethany Church Road.

.. Precinct 4-B - The voting booth beside Tankersley's Store on Double Branches Road.

Residents who are physically disabled or 75 years of age or older may vote without waiting in line between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Citizens should also keep in mind that "advance voting" at the Lincoln County Board of Elections and Registration Office, located in The Lincoln Center, will continue through Friday, June 15.

Advance voting allows an individual to cast his ballot in person at the elections office from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. the week prior to an election. No reason or explanation is required.

It must be noted that citizens may not advance vote the Monday preceding the election.

Concerning absentee ballots, the deadline for requesting that an absentee ballot be mailed to one's residence is Friday, June 15.

Applications for absentee ballots must contain the voter's name, address, date of birth, and signature; the name and date of the election; the address to which the ballot is to be mailed if different from the registered address; and a contact telephone number.

The applicant does not have to provide a reason for voting by absentee ballot.

However, requests for absentee ballots must be made in writing. The written statements may be faxed to 1-706-359-7496 or hand-delivered to the elections and registration office.

In a departure from the past, all absentee ballots must now be returned to the elections office by 5 p.m. the day prior to the election. Moreover, only the elector is allowed to handdeliver his ballot, unless he is disabled.

For more information about the voting process, contact the Lincoln County Elections and Registration Office at 706-359-6126. Residents are also invited to visit the office's new website at .

The trial website contains general information on elections, changes to election laws, legal notices, sample ballots, recent and archived election results, monthly county voter registration statistics, and so forth. The website will be monitored periodically for traffic flow to determine if continued use of the site is practical.