VOTE SMART final days, final decisions
By Deanna Ryan
The Issues
During a general election, voters have the chance to vote across party lines for the issues at hand. In order to better understand what those issues were for our readers, The Crossroads Chronicle conducted a poll entitled, “How do you choose your candidate?” found at https://www.thecrossroads.news/post/our-readers-top-concerns-for-the-2022-election The poll revealed readers considered a wide variety of issues before voting. Top of the list were education, healthcare accessibility, and the environment followed closely behind by Roe versus Wade, tax reform and economics. If you would like to see where each of the candidates stand on these items, read our voter’s guide with exclusive candidate questions and answers at https://www.thecrossroads.news/post/vote-smart-iii-candidate-questions-a-crossroads-exclusive .
The Proposals
Several new proposals and amendments are made at the end of this year’s ballot. Chief among them is the final one on the usage of the one-penny-per-dollar special purpose local options sales tax (SPLOST) that will be used to secure advanced radio communications for county first responders and updates to recreational and city and county grounds and buildings. If you are unsure of how to respond to the proposals at the end of the ballot, read https://www.thecrossroads.news/post/vote-smart-ii-responding-to-referenda-why-yes-why-no “Responding to referenda, yes or no?”
The Candidates
Emanuel County was visited by several state candidates over the past four weeks. Among them have been: Nakita Hemingway, Democratic candidate for Agriculture Commissioner; Alisha Thomas Searcy, Democratic candidate for School Superintendent; Republican Governor Brian Kemp; and Senator Raphael Warnock. The latter two visited last week with Governor Kemp holding an RSVP-only lunch on Sunday, October 23rd at 12:30 p.m. and Senator Warnock holding a free public gathering at the City of Swainsboro Auditorium on Wednesday, October 26th at 2:30. May the best candidate for the job win!
The Vote
As of Tuesday, November 1st, 2,418 Emanuel County voters have gotten out to cast their early ballots. Voters have until Friday, November 4th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to finish casting early ballots at the Elections Office in downtown Swainsboro. After 5 p.m., “all early votes will be credited, so there are no repeat votes on Election Day,” says Emanuel County elections director Kerry Curry.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th and will be held at each of the precincts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On this day, voters will need to vote in their precincts, not at the Election’s Office. If people need to vote out of precinct on Election Day, Curry notes, “they can vote after 5 p.m. in a different precinct. The vote will be considered provisional and will be counted within the next three days.”