3 Qualify For Race To Become Next Fulton BOC Chair

ATLANTA, GA -- Three candidates have qualified to run in the race to become the next chairperson of the Fulton County Commission. Qualifying wrapped up at noon Wednesday, and voters will have three candidates to choose from on the Nov. 7 ballot: Keisha Waites, Robb Pitts and Gabriel Sterling.

Waites is a former State House member who represented District 60, which includes portions of Fulton and Clayton counties. Pitts is a former Fulton County Commissioner who served between 2002 and 2014 and Sterling sits on the Sandy Springs City Council.

The special election was triggered by the resignation of John Eaves, who is running to become Atlanta's next mayor. The winner of the race will serve out Eaves' unexpired term, which expires Dec. 31, 2018 (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

The county will also hold a special election to fill the District 4 seat on the County Commission, which was vacated with the passing of Joan Garner. Candidates who've qualified for that seat are Eddie Lee Brewster, Kathryn Flowers Glasco, Natalie Hall, Steven D. Lee, Sr., Reese McCranie and Joshua McNair. The winner of that race will serve out the remainder of Garner's term, which also expires in December 2018.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Residents can register to vote online, a method that allow applicants with a valid Georgia driver's license or an ID card to complete the entire process. Fulton residents can also register to vote at their respective City Halls, any Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) office, any Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System branch or by mail.

Voter registration applications can also be obtained at:

• Fulton County Government Center, 130 Peachtree Street SW, Suite 2186 Atlanta
• Fulton County North Service Center, 7741 Roswell Road, Room 251, Sandy Springs
• Fulton County South Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, Room 105, College Park

Registered voters are urged to verify that their registration information on file with the department is up-to-date, especially if they have recently had an address or name change.

The Department of Registration and Elections regularly partners with groups and organizations to conduct voter registration drives. Groups interested in scheduling a registration drive can reach out to the Department of Registration and Elections by phone at 404-612-3816, by fax at 404-612-3697 or via email at Elections.VoterRegistration@fultoncountyga.gov.

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