History

The Board of Registrars employs two full-time clerks in the office to assist the public with all aspects of the election process. Becky Gordon and Connie Winkler will be able to assist any resident with voter registration, absentee ballots, election returns or any other service concerning elections in Murray County. All procedures followed by the Election Office are administered under laws and rules set forth by the General Assembly, the State Election Board and the Office of the Secretary of the State of Georgia.

Voter registration, absentee and early voting, voter education, the operation of the polls on election and primary days and the certification of election returns are all handled by this office. Responsibility for these activities rest with two boards:

Board or Registars
Anne H. Brindle
Timothy Howard
Larry Sampson, Chief Registrar

Board of Elections
Gary Garland
Sara Wilbanks
Connie Winkler, Chairman

Qualifications for voter registration in Georgia:

1. Be a citizen of the United States
2. Be a legal resident of the county
3. Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 to vote
4. Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude
5. Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge

How to register:

Most voters will be able to register to vote in either of two major ways:

1. Appear in person at the Election Office or in the courthouse annex.
   or
2. Fill out a voter registration card and mail it in. No postage is necessary. These cards may be obtained in the hallway of the courthouse annex, at public libraries, state high schools and colleges and certain other state government facilities. Be certain to read the directions carefully because your registration is contingent upon all requested information being filled in on the card and a prooper form of identification being enclosed in the pocket of the card.

Other Important information:

Approximately two weeks after registering to vote you will receive a precint card in the mail telling you in which voter precinct you will vote. You must register 30 days prior to an election or primary in order to vote. This includes in-person registration and the date of the postmark on the registration card if it is mailed.

If you vote on a regular basis you will remain on the voter list.

You will be required to show identification at the polls (including early voting) prior to being allowed to vote. Some of the most common legal forms of identifications are:

1. valid Georgia driver's license
2. valid United States Passport
3. valid student ID card issued by a Georgia school
4. valid U.S. military ID card
5. certified copy of a birth certificate
6. valid Social Security card

There are other options for ID which may be presented at the polls. If you do not have one of the ID forms listed above please call the Election Office for more detailed information. The voter precinct card which you receive in the mail cannot be used for identifcation when voting.

All polling places are equipped wth devices to assist disabled voters. Please call the office if this is a concern to you or a family member.

If you are a resident of the city of Eton or Chatsworth you are automatically registered to vote in the municipal elections of the appropriate city when you complete the registration process.

Georgia law states that any person who registers to vote knowing that he or she does not posses the qualification required by law, who registers under any name other than their own name, or who knowingly gives false information in registering shall be guilty of a felony.

There is no party registartion in Georgia. In primaries you must choose the party in which you would like to cast your ballot. A voter is able to vte in only on party primary. If there is a runoff primary you must vote in the runoff of the party in which you cast you ballot in the primary. If you did not vote in the primary you may vote in either runoff primary.

Early voting: Early voting is available in Georgia during the five business days preceding an election or primary. Early voting is not conducted on the Monday prior to an election.

In-person absentee voting: In-person absentee is available in the Election office for voters who have a legal reason for casting an absentee ballot. No absentee ballots can be cast on the Monday prior to a primary or election.

Voting machines: All elections are voted on electronic voting machines as required by Georgia law. It is important to remember that you may change you votes as often as you wish and may scroll through the various ballot pages as often as you wish. You may check you votes by moving forward and backward through the ballot as many times as you wish. The machine will allow you to vote for only one candidate in each category. When you have marked the ballot as you wish, and have double checked it as often as you would like, then you press the "cast ballot" button and your vote is recorded and the machine is cleared to accommodate the next voter. Please do not hesitate to ask a poll worker if you are unsure of the process. They will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Elections possible in Murray County 2006:

Carters- Doolittle: Fire Station on Old HWY 411 South, south of Chatsworth

McDonald: Gym at Eton Elementary School on HWY 286, between Eton and HWY 225

North: Fire Station on Shields Road at Cisco, just off HWY2 about midway between HWY 411 and HWY 225

Shuck Pen: Mount Zion Baptist Church on Hwy 225, just south of Northwest Elementary School.

Southwest: Fire Station on Hwy 225 South, just south of the creek bridge.

Spring Place: Gym at Spring Place Elementary School, Leonard Bridge Road.

Town: Main Fire Station on G.I. Maddox Parkway, near the Senior Center and Ingles Grocery Store.