VALDOSTA – COVID-19 has altered nearly every planned date in 2020. Elections are no exception.

The presidential primary, originally scheduled for March 24, has been moved multiple times by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and ultimately settled on June 9.

The June 9 election will combine the presidential primary, nonpartisan elections and partisan primaries.

Nonpartisan races, mostly local positions, and partisan races without candidates from both parties will be decided on the rescheduled election.

Excluding unopposed races, only two primary contests will decide their races June 9: Georgia state representative for District 177 between incumbent Dexter Sharper (D) and Alvin Payton Jr. (D) and Lowndes County tax commissioner between incumbent Rodney V. Cain (R) and Mary Ellen Weeks (R).

Primaries with more than two candidates in the same party will likely lead to a runoff which would happen in July, but the date of that runoff remained in flux as of Tuesday, said Deb Cox, Lowndes County supervisor of elections.

Early voting begins May 18, but residents can also vote by absentee ballot.

Following Raffensperger’s April decision to mail absentee ballot applications to all active voters across Georgia, the Lowndes election board has processed about 8,000 absentee ballot applications with another 500 applications still needing to be processed, Cox said. 

She said she had hired eight part-time workers to assist in the volume of applications and four were processing absentee ballots this week.

Absentee ballot applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, June 5, Cox said.

All polling locations plan to be open for the June 9 election, she said, and residents voting in person will receive alcohol wipes from poll workers prior to casting a ballot in order to increase sanitary measures due to the coronavirus. 

Voting machines will be spaced six feet apart to following social distancing guidelines and the Lowndes Board of Elections will follow any additional safety measures recommended by the health department, she said.

Additionally, Cox noted during the April 14 board of elections meeting there is a box outside the election office where people can drop off early voting ballots.

Drop-off boxes are not planned to be used on Election Day, Cox said in her supervisor’s report.

In the citizens to be heard portion of the meeting, Dennis Marks, vice chair of elections for the Democratic Party of Lowndes County, said he wants to see more voting by mail options and heavier emphasis in mail voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, local, state and federal races included on the ballot will be:

U.S Representative, District 1

— Earl “Buddy” Carter (R), incumbent, pharmacist from Savannah.

— Danny Merritt (R), business owner and U.S. army officer.

— Ken Yasger (R), server from Savannah.

— Joyce Marie Griggs (D), retired military from Savannah.

— Lisa Ring (D), educator from Savannah.

— Barbara Seidman (D), retired from Waycross

U.S Representative, District 8

— Austin Scott (R), incumbent, congressman from Tifton.

— Vance Dean (R), small business owner from Adel.

— Danny Ellyson (R), retired military from Warner Robins.

— Lindsay Holliday (D), dentist.

State Senator, District 8

— Russ Goodman (R), farmer from Homerville.

— Treva Gear (D), educator from Valdosta.

State Representative, District 174

— John L. Corbett (R), incumbent, business owner/farmer from Lake Park.

State Representative, District 175

— John LaHood (R), incumbent, senior living business owner from Valdosta.

State Representative, District 176

— James Burchett (R), incumbent, attorney from Waycross.

— Evan Primus Jr. (D), musician from Waycross.

State Representative, District 177

— Dexter Sharper (D), incumbent, entrepreneur/philanthropist/paramedic from Valdosta.

— Alvin Payton Jr. (D), retired.

Public Service Commission, District 1

— Jason Shaw (R), incumbent, businessman and farmer from Lakeland.

— Robert Bryant (D), educator from Savannah.

Lowndes County Commission Chairman

— Bill Slaughter (R), incumbent, retired, from Hahira.

Lowndes County Commissioner, District 1

— Joyce Evans (D), incumbent, retired from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Commissioner, District 5

— Clay Griner (R), incumbent, vice president of operations for ECG Inc. from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Clerk of Superior Court

— Beth Copeland Greene (R), incumbent, from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Coroner

— Austin Fiveash (R), incumbent, healthcare employee from Valdosta.

— John Hogan (D), business owner and entrepreneur from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Judge of Probate Court

— Detria Carter Powell (non-partisan), incumbent, probate court judge from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Sheriff

Ashley Paulk (D), incumbent, sheriff from Hahira.

Lowndes County Tax Commissioner

— Rodney V. Cain (R), incumbent, tax commissioner from Valdosta.

— Mary Ellen Weeks (R), retired from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Board of Education, District 4

— Ronnie Weeks (non-partisan), incumbent, supply manager from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Board of Education, District 5

— David Clark (non-partisan), incumbent, retired from Lake Park.

Lowndes County Board of Education, District 6

— Amy Miller Stecz (non-partisan), owner of a pool store from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Board of Education, District 7

— G. Edward (Eddie) Smith (non-partisan), incumbent, banker from Valdosta.

Georgia State Court Judge

— John Kent Edwards Jr. (non-partisan), incumbent, from Valdosta.

Georgia State Court Judge

— Ellen Golden (non-partisan), incumbent, from Valdosta.

Lowndes County Solicitor General

— Justin Cabral (R), incumbent, attorney from Valdosta.

Chief Magistrate Judge

— Joni B. Parker (non-partisan), incumbent, from Valdosta.