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Advance voting begins at two Newton sites Monday for Senate, PSC runoffs
Will expand to additional east and west Newton locations beginning Dec. 21
Absentee ballots
Election workers sort absentee ballots that had come into the Newton County Elections Office in Covington through Dec. 9. - photo by Tom Spigolon

COVINGTON, Ga. — Advance voting for the Jan. 5 runoff election is set to begin Monday, Dec. 14, at two locations in Covington before expanding to include additional locations in western and eastern Newton County the following week.

The three-week advance voting period is set for Dec. 14 through 31 with no voting on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Dec. 28 and the weekends.

According to the Newton County Department of Elections and Registration, the advance voting schedule includes:

• From Dec. 14 through 18, locations will only include the Newton County Administration Building at 1113 Usher St.; and the Covington branch of the Newton County Library at 7116 Floyd St. NE in Covington. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

• During the second and third weeks of advance voting, from Dec. 21 through 24 and Dec. 29 through 31, locations also will include Zion Baptist Church at 7037 Ga. Hwy. 212 North, and St. Augustine Catholic Church at 11524 Hwy. 278 East. 

• Times from Dec. 21 to 23 will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Dec. 29 and 30, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Dec. 31 from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Voting will end at noon on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. 

• No voting will be done Christmas Day, Dec. 25; on Dec. 28; and on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

Three races will be on the ballot, including Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats and the District 4 seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Democrat Raphael Warnock is challenging incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler for the right to complete the remaining two years of the term of Johnny Isakson, who resigned in December 2019 for health reasons. 

Democrat Jon Ossoff is challenging incumbent Republican David Perdue for the U.S. Senate seat that Perdue has held since 2014. 

The Public Service Commission race features Democrat Daniel Blackman challenging incumbent Republican Lauren “Bubba” McDonald. 

The Commission primarily regulates Georgia Power, including the rate it charges customers, and some other utilities providing natural gas and telephone service in Georgia. 

There will also be two absentee ballot drop-off box locations available:

• The north entrance of the Newton County Administration Building; 

• The Newton County Sheriff's Office Westside Precinct in the Kroger shopping center at 3612 Salem Road.

Election day for in-person voting at the county’s 22 voting precincts is set for Jan. 5.

For information on times for advance voting, or how to apply for an absentee ballot for the election, visit https://www.co.newton.ga.us/169/Ways-to-Vote.