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There will be ongoing coverage of each race through Nov. 5.

To see all of our stories related to the Nov. 5, 2019 elections, visit: decaturishvotes.com

About this series: As part of our ongoing election coverage, we invited each candidate to submit up to three letters of support. Here are the letters in support of Erin Braden, who is running for Decatur City Commission District 1, Post B. 

Dear Decaturish,

I am supporting Erin Braden for the Decatur Commission District 1 position.

I support Erin because of the work she has done in building a strong community for the past 16 years. I have been impressed by her commitment to a community that makes room for senior citizens, local employees, and others who would be unable to live here.

I support Erin because she has dedicated countless hours working to improve existing schools. She has chaired boards to channel funding and scholarships for City of Decatur students .

I support Erin because she has worked to enable the preservation of our green spaces.

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I support Erin because of her belief in the long held Decatur values of resident engagement. Decatur is rightly known for making room for the voices of the senior citizens at Oliver House, making room for the residents of subsidized housing, and welcoming new neighbors moving into this growing city.

Finally, I support Erin because she supports events like the recent Decatur Dinners that drew 1,200 residents to dine and to talk about how to build a city that honors racial equity and that remains a welcoming place of compassion and diversity.

If we are to improve our city, we will need a person committed to the greening of our city, to the health and well-being of our citizens, and to a vibrant culture of bringing our citizens together to solve our problems with equity and grace. We will need the strength and commitment of Erin Braden.

These are the reasons that I will be voting for Erin Braden on November 5th.

– Jon Abercrombie

Dear Decaturish,

It is important that I share this letter of support for Erin Braden, candidate for District 1 Commissioner.  As an African American mother, I wanted a community for our children that shared the diversity and community involvement that we believe is important to sustain forward movement in the lives of our family. I made it my business-to volunteer and to fill the gaps in many areas that I felt a difference could be made. What I came to realize year after year, project after project the one constant figure that I could always count on was Erin Braden. It didn’t seem what corner of Decatur there was a need, she would surely find a way to be there helping.

I realize that there are many of us that can and do give of ourselves for a certain amount of time to certain organizations. I feel that Erin Braden is the exception to the rule. She not only volunteers but lends her leadership from inception to completion. Chairing the Decatur Education Foundation, and volunteering in their mentoring program along with Decatur High School’s mentoring program is just a small part of what she has done and continues to do. She serves on Decatur’s “Better Together” organization searching for affordable housing solutions. She has been a host of “Decatur Dinners” to create diverse environments for conversations that might not otherwise take place. She regularly educates herself by attending and participating when needed at meetings and activities for our school board, city commission, PTA’s, SLT’s (School Leadership Teams), Annual Excellent Awards in our housing authority, National Night Outs and the list goes on. There aren’t many like her out   there.

Lastly, my respect for Erin has developed and grown over that last few years from things like looking up at my father -in-law’s funeral in Roswell, GA days after Christmas a couple of years ago and noticing her supportive face in a crowd of over 300 friends and families when she could’ve been with her own.

Running last minute errands during my daughter’s graduation party when my house was already full of folks so that I didn’t have to Ieave other guests. The list of her sacrifice and willingness goes on and on.

Vote for Erin Braden and you will find the same consistency and inclusiveness in her character that many of us truly admire.

– Lilly Pettus

Dear Decaturish,

I am writing in support of Erin Braden who is running for Decatur Commissioner (District 1). I have known Erin Braden for over 20 years. I know her as a friend, neighbor, and leader. I admired her leadership as President of the Glennwood Estates Neighborhood Association and chairwoman of the Clairemont Marketplace and Fifth Avenue Elementary (FAVE) PTA. Her dedication and skills in research, planning, and implementation make her an ideal candidate for Decatur’s City Commission. She understands complex issues and collaborates on finding long term solutions. She then consistently builds the consensus needed to implement them. She is relentless in carrying through with solutions and inspires trust from those around her.

Erin raises the bar on everything she undertakes. As an example of her collaborative leadership style, when FAVE was opening as a new school with no system of fund raising in place, she not only designed an event to raise funds but exceeded all expectations with the FAVE Bike Rally.

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She brought together people with expertise and spearheaded leadership to make sure it was implemented and succeeded. On another occasion, Erin helped raise funds to create the Glenn Creek Nature Preserve, helping to save 2.5 acres of critical native forest right here in Decatur.

Personally, as a certified arborist, I am deeply committed to sustainable development and building practices in Decatur whether through a park downtown, reasonable tree laws and stream protection, or updates to zoning. As always, I find Erin’s passion to understand these issues and their complex interactions commendable, and know she will work to find solutions. I have a deep faith that Erin, if elected, is on her way to making us very proud of Decatur.

That is why I plan to vote for her on November 5th.

Most Sincerely,

– Neil W. Norton, ISA Certified Arborist, 24 year resident, District 1

Learn more about voting in the Nov. 5 election: 

Early voting in the Nov. 5 municipal elections in DeKalb County began on Monday, Oct. 14.

Numerous DeKalb County cities are holding elections, including Decatur, Avondale Estates and Tucker.

The closest early voting site for these residents will be at the Voter Registration & Elections Office on 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300 Decatur, GA 30032.

Early voting times are Monday through Friday, Oct. 14 through Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be no Saturday and Sunday voting in the municipal elections.

If you need to see a sample ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter page by clicking here. You can also find your polling place if you choose to vote on Nov. 5 instead of voting early.

You have to be 18 to vote. You will also need to bring one of the following forms of ID, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office:

– Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free ID Card issued by your county registrar’s office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)

– A Georgia Driver’s License, even if expired

– Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state

– Valid U.S. passport ID

– Valid U.S. military photo ID

– Valid tribal photo ID

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