DUNWOODY, Ga. — With a presidential race and two U.S. Senate contests atop the ballot, Dunwoody voters will also select a host of candidates bidding for state and county office. The ballot includes two Georgia constitutional amendments, a statewide referendum, and a DeKalb County Board of Ethics measure. 

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The 6th Congressional District race will be a rematch between incumbent Rep. Lucy McBath (D) and Karen Handel, a Republican. Handel won the seat in a 2017 special election and lost to McBath in the 2018 midterms. McBath is the first Democrat to hold the seat since 1979.

Two state legislative seats are on the ballot. Both Democratic Party candidates took office following the 2018 midterms, after defeating Republican incumbents.

State Sen. Sally Harrell faces Republican Garry Guan in the District 40 contest. In 2018, Harrell defeated four-term Sen. Fran Millar. From 1999 to 2005, she served in the Georgia House of Representatives.

State Rep. Michael Wilensky faces Republican Andrea Johnson in the contest for House District 79. The seat was held from 2010 to 2018 by former Dunwoody City Councilman Tom Taylor, who declined to seek re-election in 2018.

Two public service commissioners, both Republicans, are up for re-election.

District 1 Commissioner Jason Shaw faces Democrat Robert Bryant and Libertarian Elizabeth Melton. District 4 Commissioner Lauren McDonald, Jr. faces Democrat Daniel Blackman and Libertarian Nathan Wilson.

Multiple county-wide seats are up for election, but only two races are contested.

Incumbent Sheriff Melody Maddox, a Democrat, faces Republican Harold Dennis. Maddox took office last year following the retirement of Sheriff Jeffrey Mann. Maddox is the first female to serve as DeKalb County Sheriff.

Incumbent District 1 County Commissioner Nancy Jester, a Republican, faces Democrat Robert Patrick. Jester was elected in December 2014, after winning a runoff election.

DeKalb County also features a host of uncontested races. The ballot will feature races for CEO, County Commission districts 4 and 5, clerk of superior court, tax commissioner, solicitor, chief magistrate, soil and water conservation supervisor and Stone Mountain judicial circuit district attorney.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 5th. Current registration status can be checked on the “My Vote Page” website, www.mvp.sos.ga.gov. Once signed in, a voter can access a sample ballot and assigned polling site.

Information about registering to vote can be obtained by accessing the webpage www.georgia.gov/register-to-vote.

Registration can be completed online or by a mail-in application. An eligible voter must be a U.S. citizen, resident of the county, at least 17 1/2 years old, not serving a felony sentence, and not found mentally incompetent by a judge. Multiple organizations throughout the metro area are holding voter registration drives.

The pandemic has heightened fears of in-person voting leading to an increased demand for absentee ballots.

An application must be completed and submitted to obtain an absentee ballot. The website, www.georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot, has complete details on the application process.

Dunwoody will have an absentee ballot drop box at City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road.

More information will be available for early voting sites in DeKalb County following the Sept. 29 special election to determine who fills the remainder of the term for Democrat Rep. John Lewis who died in July.

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