Voter Registration Ends Monday; Early Voting Begins Oct. 14

Election Day 2013 is less than five weeks away and Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp wants to make eligible voters aware of the deadlines and requirements for the Nov. 5 special election in Gwinnett County.

A three-year renewal of the 1 percent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) will go before Gwinnett voters on the first Tuesday in November.

All registered voters should ensure their information on file is up-to-date by logging into the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page.

Early voting for the 2013 elections in Gwinnett County will kick off the following Monday. Beginning Oct. 14 until Nov. 1, voters in the county will have a chance to cast their ballots early for the special election.

Early voting will take place at these locations: 

Centerville Community Center
3025 Bethany Church Road
Snellville, GA 30039

Dacula Activity Building
2735 Old Auburn Road
Dacula, GA 30019

George Pierce Community Center
55 Buford Highway
Suwanee, GA 30024

Lucky Shoals Community Center
4651 Britt Road
Norcross, GA 30093

A series of meetings hosted by Gwinnett County are currently being held to seek public input on capital projects for senior services that could be funded by the proposed SPLOST extension.

The referendum will ask whether voters wish to renew the 1 percent SPLOST after the current program ends next March. If approved, the SPLOST program will focus primarily on transportation but will also include funding for other purposes such as public safety, parks, libraries, and senior facilities. The new program would end in March 2017 and raise an estimated total of $498 million.

According to an intergovernmental agreement between Gwinnett County and its 16 cities, county government will receive 78.9 percent of the proceeds, and the cities will receive 21.1 percent.

The county has determined that 70 percent of its share, or an estimated $275 million, will be dedicated to transportation projects such as roads, bridges, intersection improvements, and sidewalks.

For more information about the upcoming senior services meetings, call 770-822-8833. To learn more about SPLOST in Gwinnett County, visit www.gwinnettsplost.com.

- Patch Editor Faye Edmondson contributed to this story