King Henry VII of England was crowned on October 30, 1485.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg.
King Charles I of England granted a charter for a new colony called Carolana that included much of present-day Georgia, along with the current states of North and South Carolina, on October 30, 1629.
Stephen Douglas of Illinois campaigned in Atlanta for President of the United States on October 30, 1860. Douglas had defeated Abraham Lincoln for United States Senate in 1858, giving rise to the Lincoln-Douglas style of debate.
The United States Congress admitted Nevada as the 36th state on October 31, 1864. Kind of fitting, in a way.
On October 30, 1871, Republican Benjamin Conley became acting Governor of Georgia after Republican Governor Rufus Bullock resigned; Conley served as President of the state Senate before taking office as Governor.
Conley took the oath of office on Oct. 30, 1871. Two days later, the new General Assembly convened and elected a new Democratic president of the Senate, but Conley refused to give up the office. The General Assembly then passed a law over Conley’s veto to hold a special election for governor on the third Tuesday in December. In that election, Democratic House speaker James M. Smith defeated Conley and assumed office Jan. 12, 1872.
On October 30, 1938, a science fiction drama called War of the Worlds was broadcast nationwide in the form of a series of simulated radio broadcasts.
The carving on Mount Rushmore was completed on October 31, 1941.
Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 30, 1945, becoming the first African-American professional baseball player in the major leagues.
On October 30, 1970, a fastball from Nolan Ryan was timed at 100.9 miles per hour, putting him in the record books.
On the same day, Jim Morrison of the Doors was sentenced to six months in prison and a $500 fine for allegedly exposing himself during a Miami concert. Morrision died before the case was heard on appeal.
President Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail to help his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her race for United States Senate from New York on October 31, 2000. On October 31, 2014, Bill Clinton came to Atlanta to campaign for Michelle Nunn for United States Senate.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order # 10.29.24.01, extending the State of Emergency for Hurricane Helene for listed counties through Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 11:59 PM. From WRDW:
On Oct. 29 Kemp [renewed] the state of emergency for the hardest hit counties until Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 11:59 p.m., unless otherwise renewed or terminated by executive order.
“After one of the most destructive storms our state has ever experienced, we know Georgians impacted by Hurricane Helene need every resource available as they recover. That’s why I have extended the existing State of Emergency for the hardest hit counties,” Kemp said.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended the state of emergency for counties hit hardest by the storm.
In the CSRA, those counties are Columbia, Emanuel, Jefferson, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes.
On Oct. 15, Kemp stated, “As Georgia communities hit hard by Hurricane Helene continue to rebuild, I want to assure them that we aren’t going anywhere until they recover fully. Our commitment remains unwavering, even if the news cycle has moved on. That is why I extended the State of Emergency today for counties in South and East Georgia as we continue to work with local partners on assisting.”
This will be fourth time Kemp has extended the emergency, after the original order was set to expire on Oct. 9 and then again on Oct. 16.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues supporting Georgians affected by Helene, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $171 million in federal disaster assistance to more than 155,000 Georgia households to help them recover from Hurricane Helene.
These funds are helping people pay for a temporary place to stay, home repairs and to replace their personal belongings, among other emergency needs, according to a press release from FEMA.
Nine Disaster Recovery Centers are open across the state, providing residents with one-on-one service to apply for assistance when they need it most, FEMA said. More than 12,700 people have visited these centers to date, and more are expected to open in the coming days and weeks, including mobile locations to meet people where they are. In addition, more than 230 FEMA staff are visiting communities and going door-to door to help individuals and families apply for assistance.
FEMA announced that houses of worship may receive recovery funding, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
EMA’s Public Assistance program may provide assistance to faith-based organizations in Georgia that were affected by Hurricane Helene and provide essential social services to the public.
Houses of worship, if they provide critical or essential social services, may submit a FEMA request for Public Assistance through Grants Portal, an online recovery management tool. Any questions about the process can be answered by your local and/or state emergency manager.
Houses of worship that provide a noncritical social service, such as community and senior centers operated by nonprofit organizations, must go through the loan application process with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance program before FEMA can determine eligibility for the agency’s Public Assistance program. The Public Assistance program reimburses expenses for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and repair or rebuilding of disaster-damaged property. However, some activities regarding emergency protective measures that were performed in preparation or response to the storm may be eligible without, or while pending, an SBA decision.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson and a Biden Administration official will update the public on Hurricane recovery today, according to WJBF.
An Effingham County student was arrested after bringing a gun to school, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Effingham County Superintendent Yancy Ford sent a message out Tuesday afternoon to parents, saying he notified them in an effort to be transparent and ensure the community that swift action was taken.
“A teacher noticed signs that the student appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance,” said Ford in a notification that was sent to parents. “Our administrative team conducted a thorough search of the student’s belongings and discovered a handgun in the student’s bookbag, and immediately had the SRO intervene. At no point did the student make any threats, nor did we find evidence indicating a targeted plan against our school or any individuals. The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority.”
“Fox & Friends” will stop in Watkinsville tomorrow and Rome on Monday for a preelection broadcast, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
On Friday, Nov. 1, “Breakfast with Friends” will be at Joe and Sam’s Café, at 1021 Jamestown Blvd., with co-host Will Cain. FOX & Friends is broadcast live on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
In the lead-up to Election Day, FOX News Channel co-hosts will be chatting with locals at favorite restaurants across the country to get the pulse on critical issues shaping this year’s election, the network says.
Along with Georgia, FOX & Friends is visiting four other battleground states….
On Monday, Nov. 4, another “Breakfast with Friends” will take place at Eggs Up Grill in Rome, with co-host Lawrence Jones.
More than three million voters have cast in-person early votes in the November 5 General Election, according to 13WMAZ.
As of Tuesday, Georgia’s early voting turnout reached historic levels. According to the secretary’s office, over 3 million voters checked in for early in-person voting, surpassing previous years. Tuesday marked the 16thday of early voting, and turnout reached 3.2 million as of 3:30 p.m. that day.
In prior years, the office said that early voting turnout on day 16 was notably lower, totaling 1,352,090 in 2018, 2,148,392 in 2020, and 1,765,317 in 2022. This year’s turnout surge has included minimal reports of long wait times, though some metro-area locations reported lines exceeding 30 minutes.
The Secretary of State’s office anticipates an even higher turnout as the early voting period ends on Friday.
According to data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, 45.3% of the state’s registered voters have come out to vote, both in person and by mail-in ballot.
So far, the state’s official Election Data hub shows 3.27 million have voted out of the state’s 7.22 million active voters.
More than 200,000 absentee ballots have been returned so far, and 199,139 have been accepted.
Of the 3.27 million votes already cast, 1.17 million were in just five central counties from the metro Atlanta area: Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, according to the state’s election data hub. The same counties also have a total of 2.54 million active voters.
Forty-one percent of Gwinnett County voters already cast ballots as of Tuesday morning, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Election Day is a little less than a week away and about 41.2% of Gwinnett County’s voters have already cast their ballots through early and absentee-by-mail voting, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
As of Tuesday morning, a total of 240,180 voters had already cast ballots in Gwinnett ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. This includes 224,912 ballots cast during the advance in person, or early voting, period. Another 15,277 absentee ballots have been received and accepted.
Gwinnett has 582,887 active registered voters on the rolls for this election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Gwinnett also has plenty of contested down ballot races, including several legislative races, three county commission races, a sheriff’s race, a tax commissioner’s race. There is also an important referendum on a 30-year special purpose local option sales tax, designed to fund transit expansion, on the ballot.
And, voters in the new city of Mulberry are electing their first City Council. So far, 4,010 in person ballots and three absentee ballots had been cast in the Mulberry special election through Sunday, according to county data.
Gwinnett has had the second highest number of ballots cast in the state during early voting, slightly edging the 223,265 votes cast in person in Cobb County. Even though slightly more absentee ballots were requested in Cobb than in Gwinnett, only 9,569 mail-in ballots have been received and accepted by Cobb election officials.
But, Fulton County, the state’s most populous county, leads all counties in early voting numbers with 321,674 votes already cast in person and another 17,161 absentee ballots returned and accepted.
Demographically within Gwinnett, 100,828 White voters have already cast ballots, compared to 67,179 Black voters, 19,538 Asian-American or Pacific Islander voters, 14,371 Hispanic voters, 1,471 Native American or Alaska Native voters and 28,166 voters who are either labeled as “Other” or whose race is unknown, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s voter turnout hub.
According to Probate Judge Wes Lewis, Colquitt County election supervisor, records were set across the state for early voting. Colquitt County saw 945 voters turn-out on the first day.
“Early voting turnout has been very heavy in Colquitt County and across the state,” said Lewis. “We are on track to break our own early voting records, and it looks like there will be record early voting totals statewide.”
There were 8,358 early voters as of early Tuesday afternoon, according to County Registrar Paula McCullough.
More than 600,000 ballots have been cast by voters who didn’t vote in 2020, according to the AJC.
As of Wednesday morning, those 613,000 voters include new residents, Georgians who weren’t old enough to vote four years ago, as well as residents who have moved back after a time living in other states and voters who were registered for decades but just skipped 2020.
“We think of the electorate as being really static,” said Bernard Fraga, a political scientist at Emory University, referring to conversations about candidates winning back voters, “when the much bigger pool of people is not folks who are switching (parties), it’s folks who couldn’t have voted, didn’t vote or couldn’t have voted in previous years.”
At this point in time in 2020, more than 836,000 non-2016 voters had cast ballots prior to Election Day, accounting for about 1 out of every 4 voters then. Ultimately, 1.5 million voters who did not cast a ballot in 2016 did so in 2020, representing about 31% of all voters.
More than half the new voters this year are white. The next largest groups are Black voters and voters who marked “Other” when filling out their voter registration forms.
These voters are younger as well, with voters under 29 making up the largest age group. About 130,000 of these voters are 21 or younger and would likely have been too young to vote during the 2016 election. There are about 27,700 voters who are 18 years old.
But Latino voters are turning out at lower levels, according to the AJC.
With the presidential contest close, both the Harris and Trump campaigns have been working hard to woo Latino voters. Polls have shown Harris with a lead, but it is smaller than margin Joe Biden won four years ago.
The [Democratic] news conference in Gwinnett comes amid underwhelming early-voting numbers among the Latino electorate, with just 25% of registered voters having cast a ballot as of Tuesday, according to data from GeorgiaVotes.com. Speakers on Tuesday said the Trump rally comments could motivate more Latinos to vote, and support Harris.
So far, roughly 84,000 of the state’s over 330,000 registered Latino voters have voted, according to data from GeorgiaVotes.com.
That turnout rate (25%), lags behind those of Asian voters (35%), Black voters (37%) and white voters (49%).
In a poll of Latino voters in eight states released last month by UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, just 56% of Georgia respondents indicated they were likely to vote in this year’s presidential election. That was the lowest number across all states polled, with Latinos in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas all expressing more interest in voting.
A poll found lower turnout among African-American voters this year than prior years, according to WALB.
A recent poll from Landmark Communications shows initial turnout among Black voters is much lower than in past years.
On Oct. 24, 2022, there were 25,000 more Democrats than Republicans voting early in Georgia. On the same day this year, there were 103,000 more Republicans than Democrats voting early.
Pollster Mark Rountree suggests lower Democrat early voting turnout is a significant drop-off in early voting in the Black community by 22% compared to 2020. Rountree said it’s one of the biggest surprises of early polling data so far.
“I don’t think anybody saw this lack of passion among African American voters, given that this is a candidate who self-describes as Black,” said Rountree.
The Landmark Communications poll shows consistency with the number of Asian and Hispanic voters turning out this election but found a dip in younger voters.
If you are voting by mailed Absentee Ballot, consider returning it to your county’s election office dropbox, according to Georgia Recorder.
As of Monday, more than 199,000 Georgians have turned in absentee ballots out of a total of 342,000 requested ballots. Voters who did not request an absentee ballot by Friday’s deadline must now vote early in person or on the Nov. 5 Election Day.
Election officials in Georgia and several voting rights organizations are encouraging voters to directly return their absentee ballots to county election offices and drop boxes, or to vote in person if they have not yet received them.
Georgia nonprofit Fair Fight Action, a voting access advocacy organization, noted significant problems with mail-in ballot processing this fall and advised voters to return their ballots via drop boxes or in-person voting instead of sending by postal mail. An overhaul of the postal service’s Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Palmetto is blamed for delaying mail delivery so much that a bipartisan group of Georgia’s congressional delegation has issued stinging criticism of the U.S. postmaster general.
According to Fair Fight Action, a number of county registrars are coping with delays in vote-by-mail processing, with one third of voters contacted still waiting for their ballots.
A third of the about 190,000 ballots sent to Georgia voters that were unreturned as of last week were within the metro Atlanta area, including the counties of Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and DeKalb. Unreturned ballots in other parts of the state were reported to be at their highest levels in Bibb, Dougherty, and Sumter counties, according to Fair Fight.
Minnesota Governor and Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Walz campaigned in Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz visited Sandfly Barbeque for a campaign stop in August when he made Savannah Mayor Van Johnson a promise: He would return to Savannah.
The visit comes during the last week of early voting in Georgia with election day only one week away, and after Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta for a star-studded rally last week. Walz told the room of several hundred supporters Tuesday that the best antidote to election anxiety was to vote and join campaigning efforts.
More than three million Georgians had already voted as of Tuesday, marking record-level turnout for early voting, according to a press release from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
“We’re driving (the ball) down the field. We got the best quarterback in Kamala Harris leading the way, and the team in this room is the right team to win.” [said Walz.]
Former Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools superintendent Ann Levett introduced Walz by emphasizing the importance of public education and attacking Trump’s plans to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education. When Walz hit the stage, the room of supporters broke out into chants of “coach.”
Many top local Democratic Party officials who have warmed-up previous Harris campaign events showed their support: Johnson, State Sen. Derrick Mallow and county commissioner Aaron “ADot” Whitely. Former Savannah Mayor and State Rep. Edna Jackson flanked Walz on stage alongside other supporters.
Local State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook also spoke before Walz’s appearance.
“Georgia delivered for America in 2020, and next week we will deliver for America again,” Westbrook said.
Both members of the Democratic ticket have now rallied in Savannah; Harris held a packed event at Enmarket Arena in late August. A few weeks later, Trump drew a crowd of more than 2,000 to Savannah’s Johnny Mercer Theatre for a speech on manufacturing. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff also made a visit as a campaign surrogate in early October.
“This thing is tied, and you know it,” Walz said. “Two minutes left on the clock. The good news is we’ve got the damn ball. We’re driving that thing down the field, we’ve got the best quarterback in Kamala Harris and the team in this room is the team to win.”
“Trump wants to talk about the past. Kamala’s got a new way forward. She knows this economy works best when it works for all of us,” Walz said.
Trump also returned to the Peach State this week with a campaign rally Monday night in Atlanta.
WTOC scored a 1:1 interview with Walz.
Walz also campaigned in Columbus, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Gov. Tim Walz’s remarks at a Columbus rally Tuesday were largely centered around getting people to early vote as the vice presidential nominee sought to solidify support for himself and Kamala Harris just a week out from Election Day.
Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, hopes he and Vice President Harris can turn Georgia blue for the second consecutive presidential election. Election experts have identified the Peach State as a swing state again this time around after it proved crucial for President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.
Walz urged Democratic supporters to keep momentum in the week leading up to Nov. 5, telling the crowd that “we can win this thing.”
“We’ve got 2 minutes on the clock, and we’ve got the damn ball,” Walz said.
Prior to his speech at the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center, Walz also visited Iron Bank Coffee Shop in downtown Columbus to speak with educators.
More from the Ledger-Enquirer:
Walz arrived at the Columbus Airport just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. He was greeted by state Reps. Teddy Reese, Carolyn Hugley, Debbie Buckner and Calvin Smyre.
After disembarking from the plane, Walz took a moment to speak with the delegation and take photos. His motorcade left the airport a few minutes before 4:30 p.m. to take him to a Columbus event, but he stopped at Iron Bank Coffee Shop on Broadway for an event the campaign called “Educators for Harris-Walz.”
He spoke to a small group of educators at the coffee shop, and Rep. Sanford Bishop, Among the group was 2024 Muscogee County School District Teacher of the Year Christie Akers.
With just one week until the general election, Walz told people at the coffee shop that they can tell how close a location is based on where the candidates are as Election Day gets closer.
Trump’s campaign stopped in Columbus earlier this month, with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and other elected officials advocating for him.
Gwen Walz will campaign in Albany tomorrow, according to the Albany Herald.
The presidential campaign trail continues to run through Albany as Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s wife, First Lady Gwen Walz, will make a stop in the Good Life City.
Walz will be canvassing for the Harris-Walz ticket in downtown Albany on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Her appearance is the latest event held by national Democrats in Southwest Georgia after former President Bill Clinton made a stop in Albany earlier in October.
Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” will campaign today in Macon and Fayette Countyfor the Harris-Walz ticket, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Rhimes, an advocate for social justice in Hollywood, will canvass through neighborhoods starting at 12 p.m. with only a week until Election Day, according to a news release from the campaign. It is unclear where exactly she will be in the city.
She will discuss Harris’ New Way Forward agenda, meant to “lower costs, protect our freedoms and give every Georgian the chance to not just get by, but get ahead, which stands in stark contrast to Trump’s Project 2025 agenda that will raise costs on our families and rip away our freedoms,” the Harris campaign said in an email.
Rhimes, a Chicago native, will also canvass in Fayette County starting at 3 p.m.
The events will come a day after she speaks at a “When We All Vote Rally” in Atlanta, alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama and other guests.
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) campaigned for the Harris-Walz ticket in South Georgia, according to the Tifton Gazette.
Saturday was a busy day for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who appeared in Tifton and several other southern Georgia cities in efforts to garner more votes for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential race. Ossoff spoke with area Democrats Saturday morning on North Tift Avenue, at a spot long popular for election campaigning.
Four years ago, he said, Georgia was a battleground state, which it is expected to be again this year. Ossoff reflected on both his win, and that of fellow Georgia Senator, Raphael Warnock.
“We could not have done it without Tift County,” Ossoff said.
Ossoff said Harris helped shepherd bills in the Senate for rural broadband access. “The things that really matter to people, the things that really matter to Georgia, she’s fighting for us,” he said, “and the other guy is just fighting for himself.”
He reminded voters that only a few days are left before the Nov. 5 election. “The whole country will be looking to Georgia,” Ossoff said. He told them to envision election night, watching news shows and seeing maps of their state. “… They’ll show all the counties of Georgia,” Ossoff said. “They’re going to tap on the map and say, ‘Here’s Tift County. Let’s see what’s happening right here.’ If you can do this right here, and you can win the state of Georgia.” Georgia could decide the overall election, he said.
Billionaire Mark Cuban will campaign for Harris-Walz in Atlanta tomorrow, according to the AJC.
Cuban’s visit to Atlanta is part of the Harris-Walz campaign’s final push in the state. Georgia is a vital piece to their path to the White House.
Cuban has become a high-profile surrogate for Harris as the economy looms large for voters. Economic matters are the highest polling issues for Georgians, according to an AJC poll released last week.
More than 35% said that jobs and the economy or inflation and cost of living were their top issues. Close to 60% of those polled expect the economy to get better in the next 12 months, the poll of likely Georgia voters found.
“Uncontested” is the theme for Georgia state legislative seats again, according to the Savannah Morning News.
According to an analysis conducted by the Savannah Morning News, nearly half of the seats in the Georgia House of Representatives and over 60% of seats in the Georgia Senate will be uncontested in this year’s general election.
While often overshadowed by national politics, the Georgia General Assembly nevertheless plays a crucial role in the lives of Georgia residents. This year alone, elected officials passed an omnibus election bill, mandated cash bail for 30 additional crimes, and attempted to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. State lawmakers are also tasked with redistricting, meaning they dictate the legislative boundaries that will be in place for 10 years or longer.
In effect, the high rate of uncontested races means many Georgia residents — Democrats and Republicans alike — will not have a choice about who represents them at the state level during the Nov. 5 general election. Experts say that lack of choice has dangerous ramifications for civic engagement, voter turnout and political accountability across the state.
Uncontested races are by no means a problem that impacts Georgia alone. The nonpartisan organization Ballotpedia tracked a total of 36,049 races in 55 states and U.S. territories and found that only 8,912 — roughly a quarter — were contested.
At the statehouse level, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are impacted by the issue. Of the 236 legislative seats up for election in Georgia this year, 122 — nearly 52% — are uncontested. Democrats make up 59 of those races, while Republicans account for 63.
“We’ve sorted ourselves into living in neighborhoods where people vote like we do,” said Dr. William Hatcher, a political science professor at Augusta University. “For these local officials, representatives, state House members or state Senators, those districts can be drawn in such a way where they’re even more so really red or really blue.”
The lack of candidates also stems from political strategizing that dissuades candidates from running for office in districts they are destined to lose, according to Emory University Political Science Professor Dr. Andra Gillespie.
“Strategic politicians don’t want to run for offices that they are destined to lose, because it doesn’t serve their long-term interests to lose a lot of elections,” Gillespie said adding that while there can be some benefits of running as the underdog, “most people will count the cost and figure that it’s not worth the time or the effort to run a race that they’re destined to lose if they think they’re going to lose badly.”
After new district lines were drawn in 2021, only five districts in the state legislature qualified as “competitive,” according to an analysis by Fair Districts Georgia. That includes Georgia Senate District 7, currently represented by state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (D-Duluth), as well as House District 53, represented by Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs), House District 105, represented by Farooq Mughal (D-Dacula), House District 108, represented by Rep. Jasmine Clark (D-Lilburn), and House District 117, represented by Rep. Lauren Daniel (R-Locust Grove). All five districts are contested in the 2024 general election.
Prior to the 2021 redistricting, Georgia had over three times as many competitive districts in the General Assembly according to Fair Districts Georgia, with a total of 18 that qualified during the 2020 election, and 21 in 2018. A judge later threw out the 2021 maps for illegally disenfranchising Black voters and ordered the legislature to redraw the maps, but most of the revised districts from the 2023 redistricting session still have strong partisan leanings.
The Macon County Board of elections voted to disqualify Democratic candidate for Sheriff Jeffrey Canady from the November 5, 2024 General Election, according to WGXA.
In a 3 to 2 decision Tuesday evening, the Macon County Board of Elections voted to disqualify the democratic sheriff candidate, Jeffrey Canady, from the November election.
Last week, Bibb County Judge Jeffery Monroe denied Canady’s appeal for Georgia POST (Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council)certification reinstatement.
Christopher Fox, District 1 [board member], explained to WGXA that Canady’s certification was previously revoked after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge in 2019.
State law stipulates candidates have up to six months after taking office to become POST-certified. Fox further explained that Judge Monroe’s decision to deny Canady’s appeal made him ineligible to receive certification – thus resulting in the board’s majority vote to disqualify Canady as a candidate for sheriff in the Nov. election.
Tarshea F.Riley, with the Macon County Board of Elections, did not vote in Tuesday’s decision. However, she did say that while Canady’s name will remain on the ballot, along with sheriff candidate Richard Martin (R.), votes in Canady’s favor will not be considered.
After all Macon County judges recused themselves due to a conflict of interest, Bibb County Judge Jeffery Monroe found there was no clear error in POST’s decision to not let Canady appeal.
Board of Elections supervisor Tarshea Riley addressed the courtroom before the board voted.
“If a candidate is disqualified, you cannot remove them from the ballot. The ballot has already been built … no votes cast for this candidate will count,” Riley said. “No one can stop you from voting for a candidate. If you choose to vote for a disqualified candidate that is at your own discretion.”
According to Riley, more than 2000 people have voted early, but Riley says votes cast for Canady won’t count since he’s been eliminated from the race.
USA Today highlights Richmond County as one of seven counties in seven states that may help determine the presidential campaign victor, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Monroe County voters will vote on a $40 million dollar, six-year Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to 13WMAZ.
Monroe County officials are considering a a new sales tax, which could create up to $40 million over the next six years.
They say one of the areas that could see improvements is the horse arena at the recreation center. They say the sales tax could contribute up to $1.5 million to build a roof over the arena, making it usable in any type of weather.
County Commissioner Eddie Rowland understands upgrades to the entire center are needed. He says about $33 million of the 2026 SPLOST fund would be allocated to Monroe County, $6 million to the city of Forsyth and about $750,000 to the city of Culloden.
“We’re going to spend a million and a half for roof and lights for the horse arena that we’re going to be doing,” Rowland said.
The county also plans to spend $400,000 for more parking in the area. Nearly $6 million will go toward sports fields on Dan Pitts Drive.
“We’re going to clean off about 25 acres and grass it and prepare it to be used for three soccer slash football fields and three softball slash baseball fields,” Rowland said.
That article was mildly infuriating, as it doesn’t actually say it’s on the November 5 General Election ballot, and I had to google the question. Here’s more information on the SPLOST. The whole issue was further clouded by the fact that Monroe County voters had a T-SPLOST on the March 12, 2024 Primary Election ballot, which passed.
In House District 145, flyers questioning Democrat Tangie Herring’s financial acuity based on a 2015 bankruptcy continue to , according to 13WMAZ.
The flier calls her “a royal mess with finances” and said “don’t trust Tangie Herring.”
Republican Candidate Noah Harbuck said they were sent out by an outside group, not by his campaign. He said he just found out about them this week.
Herring said she’s disappointed he hasn’t denounced them.“I’ve ran a positive campaign focused on the real issues. I can see how Tangie’s financial responsibilities can be on people’s minds,” Harbuck said.
13WMAZ pulled Herring’s bankruptcy filings from 2015 that she filed in Atlanta. The campaign flier said a court trustee accused her of bankruptcy abuse. Court records said that a trustee filed a motion to dismiss her case – saying Herring did not qualify, but later withdrew it.
“That is not true. Let me tell you this. I had to make some very difficult decisions when I was getting a divorce for my daughter and I,” Herring said.
“I think it’s just an issue that they’re trying to push that we shouldn’t have somebody representing us that has had financial issues herself,” Harbuck said. “I do believe it’s racist. I think it’s very misogynistic. I think it belittles women. It belittles me as a candidate like I said who’s running in a predominantly black district,” Herring said.
She said the images, with the crown, and the bruised knuckles, are a personal attack on her.
“I think it’s a stretch, but like I said, I’ve been just trying to stay positive so that’s, that’s, that’s all we can do,” Herring said.
According to the flier, it was paid for by the group A Strong Georgia.
Harbuck and Herring are running in House District 145, which is a new district covering parts of west Bibb County and parts of south Monroe County.
Republican State Senator Shawn Still (Norcross) is challenged by a Democrat, according to AccessWDUN.
The race is between Republican Incumbent Shawn Still, who has been embroiled in controversy surrounding his indictment in the Georgia fake elector case, and Democrat challenger Ashwin Ramaswami.
A notable thing about Ramaswami? He is one of only two Gen Z candidates in northeast Georgia running for state congress at just 25-years-old.
“Voters are actually really excited, because they realize that folks who are currently in office are not focusing on the issues that matter to us,” Ramaswami said. “One is never too young to do the right thing.”
Still could not be reached for comment by AccessWDUN, but his website says his top issues are tax cuts, election integrity, school choice, and eliminating squatter’s rights.
[A mailpiece] that was paid for by Peach State Values — a political action committee that supports Senate Republicans — read “Ashwin Ramaswami wants your children’s private information … If you or your teenager is approached inappropriately by creepy Ashwin Ramaswami, call the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office at: (404) 612-5101.”
Still won the 2022 elections for the district by over 13 percentage points. But Ramaswami said that Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) won their region by one point in the 2022 runoff against Herschel Walker, potentially showcasing a demographic and ideological shift.
Republican Mendy Moore and Democrat Kat Jewell are running for Forsyth County Commission District 4, according to AccessWDUN.
“Mendy thinks she’s coasting on easy Republican votes from God,” Jewell said.
Jewell said that Moore wants to cut government spending, but at the same time she claims Moore wants more federal funding for Section Eight-style housing in Forsyth.
Jewell’s solution to the issue is a public-private venture for Tiny Houses that people can rent to own.
“I’m going to critique her a little bit here and call her your run of the mill establishment Republican candidate,” Jewell said.
Jewell also wants more robust resources for mental health and better spending within the county budget.
“Mental health here, that’s another big issue,” Moore said.
Moore was not available to reach for comment by AccessWDUN, but according to her website she also wants less spending and less “sprawl” within Forsyth County.
The Dalton Daily Citizen spoke to the candidates for Whitfield County Sheriff in the November 5, 2024 General Election.
The Statesboro Heald spoke to the candidates for Bulloch County Coroner.
Here’s the best part:
[Republican Chuck Francis] and the Democratic contender for coroner, Craig Tremble, are two of the county’s three current deputy coroners. Both say that if the other wins, they will continue as a deputy coroner, working for the other who will then be the elected department head.
WTOC spoke to the candidates for Chatham County Commission District Six.
Georgia Ports were awarded $48 million in federal infrastructure funding, according to WTOC.
The Biden-Harris administration announced a nearly $3-billion dollar investment in clean ports across the US.
The Georgia Ports will receive more than $48-million of that for the Port of Savannah and Port of Brunswick.
The funds will go toward vessel shore power systems. Those systems will allow ships to use electric grid power and turn off diesel engines while at port.
In addition, the funds will go towards replacing diesel terminal tractors with electric terminal tractors. They will also install electric charging stations.
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