by Robin Kemp
Clayton County voters in School Board District 8 will have two candidates to choose from in the September 21 special election.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, the two candidates who qualified are Joy Tellis Cooper of Ellenwood and Arvis Walker of Conley.
Cooper, who qualified on August 10 but announced her intention to run on July 12, is an accountant. Walker, who qualified August 9 but began campaigning the day after Dr. Aleika Anderson qualified to run for the Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, runs a trucking company and is president of the Forest Park PTSA.
Cooper said when she announced she would run, “Our children are our most valuable asset and I want to ensure that we continue on the right track with a balanced budget, adequate tools for our teachers/students and infrastructure updates.”
Walker said she would “make sure that all schools in this district are adequate with the resources that they need for the nurturing environment that our students need to learn.”
District Eight includes these schools:
- Forest Park High
- Forest Park Middle
- Rex Mill Middle
- Anderson Elementary
- Marshall Elementary
- Morrow High
- Morrow Middle
- Edmonds Elementary
- McGarrah Elementary
- Adamson Middle
- Rex Mill Middle
- Huie Elementary
- Morrow Elementary
The Clayton Crescent will send candidate surveys to both qualified candidates in the race. Should any candidate qualify later as a write-in, we will send them a survey, as well.
Register to vote
August 23 is the last day to register to vote in the election. You can register online (or check to see if your registration is current) at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Online Voter Registration page, which is https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcome.do#no-back-button .
Absentee ballot applications due Sept. 10
Friday, September 10 is the last day that absentee ballot applications will be accepted. The Clayton County Board of Elections and Registration has an online absentee ballot application that you can fill out, then turn in by e-mail ( elections@claytoncountyga.gov ), fax (770-477-4521), or regular mail (Clayton County Elections and Registration, 121 South McDonough St., Jonesboro, GA 30236).
However, be advised that postal delays could affect timely delivery of both your application and your absentee ballot if you don’t get them in early.
Where to vote
We made a map for you! Click on the “I’m a Georgia Voter” icon to see what each polling location looks like and notes about finding the specific area where voting will take place:
You will be able to vote in person and drop your absentee ballot in the ballot boxes inside these locations:
- Clayton County Board of Elections and Registration Office, 121 South McDonough Street, Annex II, Second Floor, Jonesboro
- Morrow City Hall, 1500 Morrow Road, Morrow
- Carl Rhodenizer Recreation Center, 3499 Rex Road, Rex
- City of Forest Park Senior Center, 5087 Park Avenue, Forest Park (in Starr Park near the football stadium)
Please note: SB202, the new Georgia voting law, requires that absentee ballot boxes be inside the polling places. It also requires that voters can only drop off absentee ballots in those boxes while the polling places are open. Plan accordingly.
The polls will be open as follows:
The Board of Commissioners District 1 race is also on the ballot where the two districts coincide.
