Early Voting Draws Light Crowd For Woodstock Race

It’s been 11 days since residents have had a chance to cast their ballots early for the Nov. 3 municipal elections in Canton and Woodstock.

So, how is voter turnout in Cherokee County so far? “Average,” according to Cherokee County Elections & Voter Registration Director Kim Stancil.

“We expect it to pick up next week,” she added.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, 360 city of Canton residents have cast their ballots at the Cherokee County Elections Office in downtown Canton. The agency has also mailed 19 ballots, and seven of those ballots have been returned as voted.

The numbers for the city of Woodstock are even more...bleak. As of 1 p.m., only three residents have made the trip to Canton to cast their ballots early. The office has received 13 requests to mail ballots and of those 13, only three have been returned as voted.

Stancil said Woodstock’s numbers are expected to climb, as that city’s advanced voting site opens on Monday.

As far as turnout for the Nov. 3 races, Stancil said based upon previous elections with the same number of races on the ballot, she’s predicting a roughly 15 percent turnout for Canton and less than 10 percent for Woodstock.

Early voting will continue from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 at the Elections Office.

Advanced voting will be held at the Elections Office in Canton and Woodstock Public Library between Monday, Oct. 26 and Friday, Oct. 30. You will be able to cast ballots in both locations between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Election Day -- Tuesday, Nov. 3 -- polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Woodstock Public Library, which is located at 7735 Main Street.

A run-off, if needed, is scheduled for Dec. 1. Woodstock has one contested race on the ballot: the Ward 4 race between incumbent Liz Baxter and challenger Tracy Collins.

Ward 2 candidate David Potts and Ward 6 incumbent Rob Usher are both unopposed.

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