Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced this week the date of a special election to fill a vacancy due to the death of State Representative Edward Mickey Stephens (D-Savannah).
Stephens represented Georgia House District 165.
This, according to a press release that Raffensperger posted this week.
“The special election will be held on November 2, 2021 for the district, which includes parts of Chatham County. A run-off, if needed, shall be held on November 30, 2021,” the press release said.
“Qualifying for the special election shall be held at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office at 2 MLK Jr. Drive, Suite 802, Floyd West Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. The dates and hours of qualifying will be Wednesday, September 8, 2021 beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m., Thursday, September 9, 2021 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m., and Friday, September 10, 2021 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m. The qualifying fee shall be $400.00.”
Monday, October 4, 2021 is the last day to register to vote for the special election. Advance in-person absentee voting will begin on Tuesday October 12, the press release said.
Stephens, a Democrat, assumed office on January 12, 2009. He left office on August 14, 2021, according to Ballotpedia.
Stephens died last month due to an extended illness, Ballotpedia said.
This year in Chatham County, state-level officials within the Georgia Republican Party used — or, depending upon whom you ask, abused — their authority to select members of the Chatham County Executive Board. Local party members were supposed to choose members of the executive board, but that’s not how things played out.
In April, Chatham County GOP members had an unsuccessful convention in Savannah. Witnesses described a rift between pro-Trumpers and the party establishment that provoked a shouting match that ended business prematurely before anyone could elect Executive Board members.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Georgia Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
