Archived News

Early voting for presidential primary under way

Turnout for early voting for the presidential preference primary and special election is much lower than in past years, according Maxine Daniels, DeKalb County’s director of voter registration and elections.

“This is extremely low,” Daniels said. “We don’t know how bad it is because there’s no previous election we can judge it against.”

This is the first election in which any voter could vote this early without an excuse, Daniels said. Prior to 2008, early voting for voters without a specific excuse opened a week before the election.

Voters wishing to avoid the lines on the March 6 election have until March 2 to cast ballots at any of the early sites available throughout the county.

Until March 2, residents can vote at Voter Registration & Elections' main office at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, and at the Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road in Tucker.

Operating hours at both locations are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. excluding Monday, Feb. 20. The centers will also be open on Saturday, Feb. 18, and Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Beginning Feb. 27 and running through March 2, the following additional voting locations will open to accommodate voters:

Downtown Decatur - Clark Harrison Building

330 W. Ponce de Leon, Room A

Decatur, GA 30030

Hours: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

South DeKalb - Community Achievement Center, Inc.

4522 Flat Shoals Parkway

Decatur, GA 30034

Hours: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

North DeKalb - Chamblee City Hall

5468 Peachtree Road

Chamblee, GA 30341

Hours: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

East DeKalb - New Bethel AME

8350 Rockbridge Road

Lithonia, GA 30058

Hours: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Last month, DeKalb County opened Georgia's first handicapped-accessible-only poll, located at Voter Registration & Elections' main office, designed to accommodate the needs of elderly and disabled voters.

Lithonia hosting Safe Routes to School course on Feb. 28

The Georgia Department of Transportation and Lithonia Middle School are sponsoring a presentation of the Safe Routes to School National Course for the City of Lithonia on Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

The participants will develop an action plan that will help the city and middle school improve safety, health and transportation issues in the community. Communities around the country are using Safe Routes to School programs to make their communities safer and more appealing for children to walk and bike to school.

The event will be in the media center of Lithonia Middle School located at 2451 Randall Avenue.

Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch to this free course and to register by contacting Nykia Burke at 1-877-GDOT-W2S or Nykia@SafeRoutesGA.org.