It’s beginning to look a lot like Election Day.
A resident holds an “I'm A Georgia Voter” sticker during the 2020 Presidential election. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg)
General municipal and special elections in Cherokee and Fulton Counties will be held on November 7, 2023—but early voting remains available until Friday, November 3, 2023.
And for those of us in the 56, we have a few races to consider and a few early-voting locations available:
Non-partisan elections: Cherokee
Sample ballots can be found at cherokeegavotes.com
Canton (yep, it peeks into the 56 😊)
Mayor
Four city council wards
Woodstock
Three city council wards
Bond for trails & parks
Non-partisan elections: Fulton
Sample ballots can be found at fultoncountyga.gov
Mountain Park
Mayor
Three city council members
Volunteer fire & rescue referendum
Roswell
Four at-large city council posts
Municipal judge
Early voting locations: Cherokee
The following locations are open Monday–Friday, 8:30a – 5:00p.
Additional information can be found at cherokeegavotes.com
Cherokee County Elections & Voter Registration Office
193 Lamar Haley Parkway
Canton, GA 30114South Cherokee Annex Recreation Center
(Drop box location)
7545 North Main Street, Building 200
Woodstock, GA 30188
Early voting locations: Fulton
The following locations are open Monday–Friday, 9:00a–6:00p.
Additional information can be found at fultoncountyga.gov
Roswell Library
115 Norcross Street
Roswell, GA 30075East Roswell Library
(Drop box location)
2301 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, GA 30076
Your Cherokee County election ballots.
Mockup by Anthony Boyd Graphics, sample ballots from cherokeegavotes.com.
In advance of Election Day (Tuesday, November 7) in Canton and Woodstock, it can be helpful to review your ballots.
The advantage of reviewing sample ballots ahead of time is that you can investigate the candidates—especially in municipal non-partisan contests which lack traditional party affiliations—and familiarize yourself with ballot initiatives, judges, or any other issue you might not otherwise expect.
In Canton, incumbent mayor (and fellow design leader 😉) Bill Grant is facing challenger Andy Tubbs.
And in Woodstock, voters will decide on a $24 million bond to complete the 106-acre Little River Park and the Buckhead.
Sample ballots for Canton & Woodstock:
City of Canton 2023 sample ballot, from cherokeegavotes.com.
City of Woodstock 2023 sample ballot, from cherokeegavotes.com.
Your Fulton County election ballots.
Mockup by Anthony Boyd Graphics, sample ballots from fultoncountyga.gov.
In advance of Election Day (Tuesday, November 7) let’s also review your Mountain Park and Roswell ballots.
In Mountain Park, Lloyd Hendricks is running against Bill Kolbrener for the open mayoral position. And a number of candidates are running for two city council posts: Current mayor pro tem and incumbent councilwoman Carol Fulghum Silver is fending off James Jones and Wanda Taylor (Ike Powell recently withdrew); and Linda Dorough Dixon is running against Mark Murphy (a council veteran) in a special election for a vacated seat.
The small city is also considering whether or not to continue funding their local fire department
I’m incredibly impressed that Mountain Park—with fewer than 600 residents—makes a contest out of every office!
Meanwhile, in Roswell—the 56’s largest city—four contested city council posts have littered every yard and curb for miles around with more signs than I recall seeing in a off-year election.
Incumbent Sarah Beeson is running against Jason Miller. Michael Dal Cerro is running against Marisa Pereira, and Allen Sells (with the unfortunate slogan #dontatlantamyroswell). Incumbent Christine Hall is running against Lyndsey Coates. And David Johnson and Jade Terreberry are running in a special election to fourth, vacated post.
This doesn’t look very nonpartisan to me. Photo by JD Jordan.
I’ve been following this race most closely because it’s—by far!—the most contested ballot in the district. And while municipal elections are supposed to be nonpartisan, this council race has become anything but.
Back in September, a progressive organization invited four candidates (Beeson, Dal Cerro, Coates, and Johnson) to participate in a forum. Of course, political “slates” defeat the purpose of nonpartisan elections so all four invitees withdrew. But the damage was done.
In response, a conservative slate was organized around the other five candidates (Hall, Miller, Pereira, Sells, and Terreberry) and the Fulton County Republican Party got involved, distributing yard signs and swag for these candidates at Roswell’s monthly Alive in Roswell festival.
Since then, accusations of election denial and funding from George Soros have entered our local contest.
Sample ballots for Mountain Park & Roswell:
Cities of Mountain Park and Roswell 2023 sample ballots, extracted from fultoncountyga.gov.
Get ready for Election Day!
A few signs in our yard. Photo by JD Jordan.
As we’ve discussed, this year’s elections are municipal and non-partisan. And despite the efforts of some to assemble partisan slates (boo!), Ellie and I are really excited to vote for a politically-diverse group of candidates in our hometown and to follow the fortunes of friends across in the district:
Canton’s incumbent Mayor Bill Grant and I have run in similar circles within the metro-ATL design community for years—he’s an impressive guy, a fantastic business person, a really creative thinker, and a very successful mayor.
And in Roswell, Ellie and I already early voted for a handful of city council candidates: Our friend Sarah Beeson—who’s first year on the job delivered a series of wins for our local fire and police departments—as well as Michael Del Cerro, Lyndsey Coates, and David Johnson who promise to bring some much-needed change and professionalism to our rapidly-growing city.
I hope you’ll make the time—if you haven’t already—to exercise your right to vote and to shape the future of our cities and the 56! Whomever you choose to vote for, the most important thing you can do on Tuesday, November 7 is to exercise your civic right. After all, it’s the how we make our voices heard and achieve the constituent-centered government we deserve.
If you’re worried about remembering candidates’ names, remember, you can take notes into your polling places with you.
Find your early voting or election day polling location at vote.org.
Help protect free and open elections in Georgia at fairfight.com.
And if anyone tries to stop you, call the Election Protection Hotline at 866.687.8683
Have a great Election Day!
JD JORDAN FOR GEORGIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 56
For anyone in East Cobb, Roswell, or Woodstock alarmed by the state’s escalating attacks on our bodies, our families, our doctors’ offices, our classrooms and libraries, even our polling places, I’m running for state senate district 56 to fight for our freedoms and to deliver a better future for everyone in Georgia.
And unlike my opponent who’s spent 14 years rolling back our freedoms, failing to safeguard our kids, and gerrymandered his district to stay in office, I promise to bring everyone in the 56—regardless of ideology—the best possible constituent experience so you feel heard, valued, and supported. As we all deserve to be.
I’m running for the 56. Let’s make a better Georgia for all of us.
—
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jordan For Georgia, LLC
10800 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 208 #629
Roswell, GA 30076-1467
jdjordan@forthe56.com
706.804.0456
