Qualifying for local offices and advanced voting for the Presidential Preference Primary both begin Monday, March 2.
Beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 2, advanced voting for the March 24th Presidential Preference Primary begins. Advanced voting will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday voting is on March 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advanced voting ends on Friday, March 20.
All advanced voting will be held at the Courthouse Annex located at 122 W. Water St.
Qualifying will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 2, for candidates seeking local offices. Qualifying will end at noon on Friday, March 6.
Local offices up for re-election this year include the countywide partisan offices of coroner, sheriff, clerk of court and tax commissioner. Countywide non-partisan offices include chief magistrate, probate judge and state court judge.
Local offices for particular districts include the partisan offices of county commissioners for Districts 2, 3 and 5. Nonpartisan offices for particular districts are school board members from Districts 1, 3 and 5.
Partisan offices are those elected officials who must chose which political party they wish to run on; for example, a Democratic or Republican ballot.
Qualifying for Democratic Party candidates will be in the back lobby of the Decatur County Administrative Offices located at 203 W. Broughton St. in Bainbridge. Qualifying fees for candidates in the Democratic Party must be paid with a personal or cashiers check, cash or money order.
Qualifying for Republican Party candidates will be at 113 W. Water St., which is located across the street from the Decatur County Courthouse in downtown Bainbridge. Qualifying fees for all Republican Party candidates must be paid with a personal or cashier check or money order. No cash can be accepted.
Qualifying for non-partisan races will be at the Board of Elections Office, located at the Courthouse Annex at 122 W. Water St. in downtown Bainbridge. Qualifying fees for all non-partisan races and independent candidates must be paid with a personal or cashiers check or money order. No cash can be accepted at the Elections Office.
Officials who qualify will appear on the Primary/General Nonpartisan/Special Election being held on Tuesday, May 19. Advanced voting for that election will begin on Monday, April 27, with a mandatory Saturday voting on May 9. The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 20.
