Early voting for the Georgia presidential primary election in March will begin Feb. 13, Chief of Elections Doris White said.

All Decatur County voters will get to cast votes for the presidential candidate of their choice, while City of Bainbridge residents will also get to decide whether Sunday alcohol sales will be allowed within city limits.

In the presidential race, incumbent President Barack Obama is the only choice for voters who choose a Democratic Party ballot.

On the Republican Party ballot, there are nine candidates to choose from. The winner of the Republican primary will get a share of Georgia’s delegates’ ballots at the Republican National Convention, where the Republican nominee for November’s presidential election will be decided.

Bainbridge residents will essentially be asked two questions: 1) Should the city allow package sales of beer, wine and spirits on Sundays between 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.; and 2) Should the city allow restaurants to sell beer, wine and liquor beginning at 1 p.m. on Sundays?

On Nov. 8, voters in 127 Georgia cities and counties voted on Sunday alcohol sales referendums, according to the Georgia Food Industry Association (GFIA). Of those, 105 were successful, 21 failed and the result of one is still outstanding.

 

When and where to vote

All early voting is now conducted at the Decatur County Fairgrounds off Vada Road.

Early voting will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday from Feb. 13 through Feb. 24 — except for Presidents’ Day on Feb. 20, when no voting will occur.

The Board of Elections will offer early voting on Saturday, Feb. 25, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., also at the Fairgrounds.

Between Feb. 27 and March 2 (the Friday before the election), early voting will be conducted between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. By state rules, no early voting will take place on Monday, March 5, the day before Election Day.

Citizens who wish to check their voter registration status, locate where they vote, look at a sample ballot and find out more voting-related information can visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page” at www.sos.ga.gov/mvp.

Voters can also call the Decatur County Board of Elections office at (229) 243-2087.