Qualifying for the May 21 general primary and nonpartisan election will take place this week.
Those interested in the following positions in Columbia County can qualify from 9 a.m. Monday weekdays through noon Friday at Columbia County Board of Elections, 610 Ronald Reagan Dr. Building G3 in Evans.
The positions include Superior Court Judge, Judge of Probate Court, Clerk of Superior Court, Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Chief Magistrate, County Commissioner districts 2 and 3, Coroner, Board of Education Chairperson and Board of Education districts 1 and 4.
On the May 21 primary ballot will be two District 3 races. One is a special election to fill the unexpired term of Gary Richardson, who resigned to run for State House District 125. Qualifying for the special election took place Feb. 26-28 and two candidates filed, Michael Carraway and Rickey Meredith. The other District 3 race is to fill the next four-year term for the position.
House District 125 runoff voting is this week
Early voting is ongoing this week in the March 12 House District 125 runoff between C.J. Pearson and Gary Richardson and the Presidential Preference Primary. Advance voting will be held in Columbia County from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the board of elections and the former Euchee Creek Library, 5901 Euchee Creek Road, as well as at two McDuffie County polling places.
Those who are in District 125 and have already voted in the presidential primary will have to vote again to participate in the runoff. Those voting next week will have to vote twice, once in the presidential primary and once in the special election runoff because the races are on separate ballots.
For more information, call 706-868-3355 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.
Qualifying for state House and Senate and U.S. Congress is this week
Primary qualifying for area state Senate and House seats is this week and is typically held at state party headquarters in Atlanta. The Senate seats coming open that include Columbia or Richmond counties, or both, are districts 22, 23 and 24. The Columbia and/or Richmond County House seats for which qualifying will be held are districts 123, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 131 and 132.
Early voting ongoing in presidential preference primary
Early voting in Georgia’s 2024 Presidential Preference Primary began Feb. 19, 2024, continues this week through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at four Augusta-Richmond County sites. The locations are Augusta Municipal Building, 535 Telfair St.; Warren Road Community Center, 300 Warren Road; Diamond Lakes Regional Park, 103 Diamond Lakes and Charles Evans Community Center, 1866 Highland Ave.
Richmond County offices up for election
In Richmond County, nonpartisan qualifying in the May 21 election for Augusta Commission districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, as well as Superior Court Judge and Richmond County Marshal will be held this week. It will take place from 9 a.m. Monday weekdays through noon Friday at Richmond County Board of Elections, 535 Telfair St.
In addition, qualifying for the May 21 party primaries for the following Richmond County positions will be held at party-designated locations: Augusta Circuit District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, Probate Judge, Tax Commissioner, Sheriff, Coroner, Solicitor General and Presiding Judge of Civil and Magistrate Court.
View the fees to qualify here.
View a voter information guide created by Richmond County board of elections
Managing Editor Stephanie Hill contributed to this story.
