Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- Rockdale County voters are invited back to the polls later this month to settle the primary election that resulted in a runoff for a few seats.

The runoff election in Rockdale County is for some Democratic and nonpartisan seats. It is scheduled for Aug. 21.

"Only Democratic candidates for State House Districts 92 in seven precincts and 113 in one precinct are involved in the Democratic Primary Runoff Election," said Cynthia Welch, supervisor of Elections for the Rockdale County Board of Elections. "Voters should refer to their yellow precinct card to confirm their State House District. All other voters will be eligible to receive a nonpartisan ballot only, containing the Board of Education Post 5 race."

Candidates for District 92 are Tonya P. Anderson and Doreen Williams. This will be for all voters in the Conyers, Lakes, Milstead and Sheffield precincts and only a portion of voters in the Flat Shoals, Hightower and Olde Town precincts, according to the Board of Elections.

Candidates for District 113 are incumbent Pamela Dickerson and Sharon Sawyer. This will be for Fieldstone precinct voters only, according to the Board of Elections.

All eligible voters in Rockdale County can cast a nonpartisan ballot for the Board of Education Post 5 candidates, Tony Dowdy and Willie J. Washington.

Welch said that there may be some confusion is some precincts, so if any voters have any questions, they should contact the Board of Elections at 770-278-7333.

Absentee ballots are being mailed now through Aug. 17, according to the Board of Elections.

In-person absentee voting is scheduled from Aug. 13 through Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours until 7 p.m. from Aug. 15 through Aug. 17 at the Rockdale County Board of Elections office, which is located at 1400 Parker Road in Lobby C. Polls will be open on Runoff Election day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Once the Rockdale County Board of Elections receives sample ballots, it will post them to its website at www.rockdalecounty.org, Welch said.

Residents must have been registered to vote by July 2 to vote in the runoff. They did not have to vote in the primary election on July 31 to vote in the runoff, but if they did, they have to vote on the same party ballot as the primary.

Welch projects a 14 percent turnout, or 6,790 voters, in the runoff, which she estimates will cost the county about $40,000. She plans to reduce the number of precinct workers and early voting workers to save costs.