Editorial: Make sure you register to vote in advance of upcoming primary and general election

Published 12:30 am Saturday, March 26, 2022

The ballots for the May 24 primary and general election will be chock-full of candidates — from local to state to national races.

There are only three uncontested races out of the many in Whitfield and Murray counties. Several races have multiple people vying for the same position.

For example, both seats on the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners have a challenger each in the Republican Party primary. Three candidates are seeking the Whitfield County Board of Education District 4 seat in the Republican Party primary. Nine people are vying for the 14th U.S. Congressional District post (three Democrats and six Republicans in their primaries).

The primaries determine who will be the Republican and Democratic candidates in the Nov. 8 general election. The deadline for someone seeking to run as a write-in candidate to file and publish a notice of intent is Sept. 6, and Sept. 11 is the deadline to file an affidavit.

The decisions our elected officials make immediately impact our lives. That’s why it’s important that you vote. But before you can vote, you must be registered to do so.

You can register at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office’s website at sos.ga.gov or at the Board of Elections offices in the Whitfield County Courthouse or the Murray County Courthouse.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office (georgia.gov/register-vote), to register to vote you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States.

• Be a legal resident of the county.

• Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote.

• Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.

• Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge.

After you’ve made sure you are eligible to vote, you then fill out and submit a voter registration application, check for your precinct card and then vote.

Being a part of the democratic process of voting is an honor we all should participate in. Please register to vote.