Early voting begins Monday for a May 22 primary ballot that has no contested races at the local level.
The early voting period runs through May 18 and includes one Saturday — May 12 — in the mix. Hours will run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 12, according to Bryan County Elections Supervisor Cindy Reynolds.
Early voting will be at the Wetlands Center in J.F. Gregory Park, the Courthouse in Pembroke or the County Administration Building in South Bryan.
If you are a registered voter, you can visit https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do to see your sample ballot. Georgia uses an open primary, meaning anyone can select a non-partisan, Democratic or Republican ballot. You can also find your polling location if you choose to vote on May 22.
Local candidates include Amy Murphy, school board chair; Pam Gunter, school board District 1; Derrick Smith, school board District 3; Marianne Smith, school board District 4; David Schwartz, school board District 5; Wade Price, commissioner District 2; Brad Brookshire, commissioner District 4; and Gene Wallace, commissioner District 5.
Derrick Smith is running to fill the last two years of Murphy’s term on the school board for District 3. Murphy had to resign the seat to run for school board chair as Georgia law does not allow a person to seek one elected office while holding another.
The T-SPLOST question will also be on all ballots in Bryan County. The transportation-specific levy would raise money for the cities of Pembroke and Richmond Hill as well as the county for road improvements.
Democratic voters will face a choice of two candidates in the First Congressional District. Lisa Ring of Richmond Hill and Barbara Seidman of Waycross are vying to take on incumbent Buddy Carter in November.
Democrats will also have the option to vote yes or no on four questions, including a ban on the sale of bump stocks, expanding Medicaid, creating a non-partisan commission for the purposes of drawing voting district lines and spending on mass transit.
Republican voters in House District 160 will choose between incumbent Jan Tankersley and challenger Robert Busbee. Republican incumbents Ben Watson in state Senate District 1, Ron Stephens in state House District 164 and Jesse Petrea in state House District 166 face no primary challengers.
Sandra Workman of Richmond Hill will appear unopposed on the Democratic primary ballot in state Senate District 1, as will Alicia Scott of Savannah in state House District 164.
Otha Thornton of Richmond Hill is one of three Democrats running for state schools superintendent. The others are Sid Chapman and Sam Mosteller. Republicans vying for that nomination are incumbent Richard Woods and John Barge.
The gubernatorial primary also offers choices on both party ballots.
Republicans: Casey Cagle, Eddie Hayes, Hunter Hill, Brian Kemp, Clay Tippins, Marc Urbach and Michael Williams. Democrats are Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans.
Those running for lieutenant governor include Democrats Sarah Riggs Amico and Triana Arnold James and Republicans Geoff Duncan, Rich Jeffares and David Shafer.
Other partisan races include secretary of state, insurance commissioner and public service commissioner.
Candidates are as follows.
Secretary of State
Democrat: John Barrow, Dee Dawkins-Haigler and Rakeim Hadley.
Republican: David Belle Isle, Buzz Brockway, Josh McKoon and Brad Raffensperger.
Insurance Commissioner
Democrat: Janice Laws and Cindy Zeldin.
Republican: Jim Beck. Jay Florence and Tracy Jordan.
Public Service Commissioner
Democrat: Lindy Miller, John Noel, Johnny White, Dawn Randolph and Doug Stoner (two seats).
Republican: John Hitchens III and Tricia Pridemore.
The non-partisan race for a court of appeals judgeship includes Ken Hodges and Ken Shigley.