Early voting in three Richmond County special elections got off to a very slow start Monday.
“We mailed out four absentee ballots that we had previously received, and voted four people,” said Travis Doss, director for Richmond County Board of Elections.
Four is less than .025% of the 15,979 registered voters in District 6, located in the central part of Augusta-Richmond County. The seat is now held by A.K. Hasan, but his home address was removed from the district by state legislators. The 20-year-old man elected District 6 trustee in November, Tyrique Robinson, took his own life a week later, so a March 21 special election is being held.
The school board candidates are Laura Green, a daycare owner, and Ed Lowery, a funeral director and caterer.
Green is “a passionate childcare provider and community advocate” who will “bring fresh perspective and meaningful change to the school board,” a news release stated.
“As a childcare provider, I have had the privilege of watching children grow and develop from birth,” she said. “I am committed to supporting them beyond the daycare setting and helping them reach their full potential.”
Lowery said at a news conference he’ll help bring “a new day” to Richmond County education.
“I feel that we as leaders, as adults, as preachers, as politicians, have let our children down. That’s why so much is happening out in the street. But it’s going to be a new day, because we are going to come together and do what’s right about our children.”
In Blythe, the town of 745 has two special elections March 21: for mayor and a city council seat.
Blythe’s last mayor, Curt St. Germaine, resigned in January after the council voted to fire the city attorney. Council member Edward LaJoie resigned a few days later.
Now running for mayor of Blythe are former mayor Tom Cobb and LaJoie.
Pursuing LaJoie’s council seat are former mayor Philip Stewart, former council candidate Rebecca Bartlett Newsome and solar energy specialist Michael Rineer.
Early, in-person voting continues at Augusta Municipal Building for the next three weeks, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday voting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 4 and March 11. For the final week of advance voting, weekday hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
