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Sunday alcohol sales passes unofficially
Gingrich takes Rockdale County with 56.7% of Rockdale voters
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Poll officer Lonnie Fears welcomes voters to the Hightower Trail precinct poll at Hightower Trail Elementary's gymnasium. - photo by Michelle Kim

Rockdale County Board of Elections and Voter Registration:
http://www.rockdalecounty.org/main.cfm?id=2357

(770) 278-7333
1400 Parker Road, Lobby C, Conyers

Rockdale County precincts:

Barksdale: Barksdale Elementary School
Bethel: Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection
Conyers: Conyers First United Methodist Church
Fieldstone: Life Church
Flat Shoals: Flat Shoals Elementary School
Honey Creek: Honey Creek Elementary School
Hightower: Hightower Trail Elementary School
The Lakes: Rockdale County Public Works Building
Lorraine: Union United Methodist Church
Magnet: Cross Pointe Christian Church
Milstead: Conyers Middle School
Olde Town: Pine Street Elementary School
Rockdale: Rockdale Baptist Church
Salem: Salem High School
Sheffield: J.H. House Elementary School
Smyrna: Heritage High School
St. Pius: St. Pius X Catholic Church
Stanton: Edwards Middle School

Rockdale and Conyers residents will soon be able to buy a bottle of wine at the grocery store or a six-pack of beer at the gas station on Sundays after voters approved the Sunday sales referendum Tuesday night.  The majority of the county’s Republican voters also went to Newt Gingrich in the presidential preference primary.

The Sunday alcohol sales referendum passed with a healthy margin of more than 12 percent in the county, with 56.4 percent voting yes, and more than 14 percent in the city, with 57.1 percent voting yes. The only precinct out of Rockdale’s 18 voting districts that did not approve the Sunday alcohol sales was Bethel, which voted against it 57.4 percent.

Gingrich carried all 18 of Rockdale’s precincts, with 56.69 percent of the total Republican voters in the presidential preference primary. Mitt Romney came in second with 21 percent and Rick Santorum third with15.94 percent. Ron Paul trailed with 5.68 percent in Rockdale.

This mirrored state-wide results, which had Gingrich with 47.4 percent, Romney with 25.7 percent, Santorum with 19.6 percent, and Paul with 6.5 percent. Associated Press and CNN called the Republican presidential primary for Gingrich within minutes of polls closing, based on exit interviews.

Turnout was lower than expected, with about 22 percent, or 10,406 out of 47,317 active registered voters in Rockdale, coming to the polls.

This was the first election being overseen by the new elections board members, at large member Judge William Todd, Republican Jonny Brown, and Democrat Caycie Dix. All three praised the performance of the elections supervisor’s staff and Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch.

The results will be officially certified later this week. Sunday alcohol sales go into effect April 1 and would be allowed to be sold 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sundays.

 In neighboring Newton County, Gingrich took Newton County Tuesday with overwhelming support, capturing 59.4 percent of the vote on his way to winning Georgia's primary with 48 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney finished second in Newton County with 18.22 percent of the vote, while Rick Santorum took 16.37 percent and Ron Paul finished last among the four major Republican contenders with 5 percent.

North of Rockdale, in Walton County, Tom Kirby won District 107 Ga. House Representative run-off election, defeating Paul Smith. As the winner of District 107’s run-off, he will become Rockdale’s representative in July when District 107 becomes new District 114, which is partly in north Rockdale and be considered the incumbent for the July primaries.

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Rockdale totals (as precincts arrive)
Registered voters in Rockdale: 47,317

Turnout: 10,406 (21.99%)

Reporting so far, 18 out of 18 precincts: Absentee mail in ballots (197, 0.42%), Absentee in person (2628, 5.55%), Stanton, the Lakes, St. Pius, Smyrna, Fieldstone, Conyers, Bethel, Lorraine, Barksdale, Magnet, Milstead, Olde Town, Flat Shoals, Honey Creek, Milstead, Olde Town, Sheffield, Hightower, Salem

Sunday Sales:

Rockdale
Yes - 5830 (56.39%)
No - 1102 (43.61%)

Conyers
Yes - 484 (57.14%)
No - 363 (42.86%)

Republican presidential preference primary

Michelle Bachmann - 15
Newt Gingrich - 4637 (56.69%)
Jon Huntsman - 15
Gary Johnson - 9
Ron Paul - 465 (5.68%)
Rick Perry - 13
Buddy Roemer - 4
Mitt Romney - 1718 (21%)
Rick Santorum - 1304 (15.94%)

Democratic presidential preference primary

Barack Obama - 2027 (100%)


 In neighboring Newton County,  Newt Gingrich took Newton County Tuesday with overwhelming support, capturing 59.4 percent of the vote on his way to winning Georgia's primary with 48 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney finished second in Newton County with 18.22 percent of the vote, while Rick Santorum took 16.37 percent and Ron Paul finished last among the four major Republican contenders with 5 percent.

 

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(7:10 p.m.) The AP is calling the Ga. Republican primary race for Gingrich. CNN shows Georgia exit polls: Gingrich 45%, Romney 26%, Santorum 20% , Paul 8%

 

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(March 6, 11:04 a.m.) Super Tuesday is here.

Polls will open at the 18 local precincts from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. for registered voters for the presidential preference primary and Sunday alcohol sales for Conyers and Rockdale.

Voters in the city of Conyers, which has the Olde Town and Conyers precincts, will be able to vote in both the city and county alcohol sales referendums. Voters residing in the county will only be able to vote in the county's alcohol sales referendum.

Since there is a presidential preference primary, voters will receive a ballot to vote in either the Republican primary, Democratic primary, or a non-partisan ballot with just the alcohol sales referendum question.

Rockdale and Conyers is among 53 counties and 29 cities are also considering local sales tax measures, Sunday alcohol sales, and special elections for local offices.

Georgia is the largest delegate-wise of the 10 states holding their presidential preference primary on Tuesday.

The Elections Supervisor's office projects a turnout of about 22,169 voters or 47 percent of active registered voters.

About slightly less than 5 percent of eligible voters in Rockdale already cast their ballots during the three-week in person early voting session, which ended March 2. The highest early voter turnout was in the Stanton precinct, with 9.1 percent, and the lowest early voter turnout was in the Olde Town precinct, with 2.7 percent.

Photo identification, such as a driver's license, state or federal government photo ID, US passport, US military photo ID, or tribal photo ID will be required to vote.

For more information, go to www.GAPhotoID.com. Or contact the elections supervisor's office at (770) 278-7333 or www.rockdalecounty.org.

 

Text of the Sample Ballot for City of Conyers (Which has both Conyers and Rockdale alcohol sales referrendum questions; Rockdale Ballots have just the Rockdale County referrendum question):

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
For President of the United States
(Vote for One)
MICHELE BACHMANN
NEWT GINGRICH
JON HUNTSMAN
GARY JOHNSON
RON PAUL
RICK PERRY
BUDDY ROEMER
MITT ROMNEY
RICK SANTORUM

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
For President of the United States
(Vote for One)
BARACK OBAMA
(Incumbent)

SPECIAL ELECTION
CITY OF CONYERS
Sunday Alcohol Sales Question
(Vote for One)
Shall the governing authority of the City of Conyers, Georgia be
authorized to permit and regulate package sales by retailers of malt
beverages, wine, and distilled spirits on Sundays between the hours of
12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.?
YES
NO

SPECIAL ELECTION
ROCKDALE COUNTY
Sunday Alcohol Sales Question
(Vote for One)
Shall the governing authority of Rockdale County, Georgia be
authorized to permit and regulate package sales by retailers of malt
beverages, wine, and distilled spirits on Sundays between the hours of
12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.?
YES
NO

COMPLETE CONYERS Sample Ballot PPP
COMPLETE ROCKDALE Sample Ballot PPP