Clarkston, GA — This week marks the homestretch of the Clarkston special election to fill Yterenickia “YT” Bell’s seat on the Clarkston City Council. The seat became vacant when Bell stepped down to run for mayor.

This week is the last week of early voting, which ends on Friday, March 12. Election Day is Tuesday, March 16.

To find early voting information, click here. To look up your polling place, click here.

So far 15 ballots have been cast as of March 5, according to the DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections website.

Voters can fill out ballots during the early voting period at the DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections Office in Decatur, 4380 Memorial Drive, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All absentee ballots for this election must be mailed or dropped off at the DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections Office by Tuesday, March 16, by 7 p.m. Drop boxes are not available during this election, according to DeKalb VRE.

“We were notified by the Georgia Secretary of State that the emergency measure allowing us to use drop boxes and open absentee ballots early has expired,” DeKalb VRE Director Erica Hamilton said in a press release. “We have locked all drop boxes and placed announcements to remind voters they can mail in an absentee ballot or return an absentee to our office on Memorial Drive.”

The three candidates are Shana “Tiny” McAllister, Dean Moore and Mark Perkins.

McAllister is running for the City Council largely because she loves the city and wants to be part of Clarkston’s growth.

More information about the candidates can be found here.

McAllister is running for the City Council largely because she loves the city and wants to be part of Clarkston’s growth. Her top issues of importance are affordable housing, green space development and beautification efforts.

Another big focus for McAllister is educating the public on how to properly recycle.

Moore previously served on the City Council from 2010 to 2017, when he did not win reelection. He is running again to continue his involvement in the city and help it thrive. His top local issues are the zoning code rewrite, the comprehensive plan update and ensuring smart development.

Perkins hopes to move the city toward a more collaborative political spirit that benefits the community. The core value of his campaign is moving people together, utilizing knowledgeable people and having conversations. His main local concerns are the coronavirus pandemic, protecting small businesses, helping renters and continuing the Clarkston Police Department’s cultural sensitivity work.

The candidates encourage residents to head to the polls during early voting or on Election Day. Moore said residents should continue to be involved in their local government and pick their community leaders.

“It is time to revise zoning and update our future plan,” Moore said. “We could literally lose our neighborhoods before the next election in November 2021.”

Voting is one of the primary ways to have a say in the city, Perkins added.

“We are very fortunate to be in a situation where we have a voice in what our community becomes and the things that we are able to preserve and the things that we are willing to flex on,” Perkins previously told Tucker Observer.

The Tucker Observer is a new community news website owned by Decaturish.com. We provide locally sourced news about Tucker, Clarkston and Stone Mountain.