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January 4, 2012

Georgia presidential primary looms

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com

With the Iowa caucuses over, the presidential campaign season is in full swing, and it won’t be long before the candidates set their sights on Georgia.

Georgia’s presidential primary takes place on March 6, but early voting for that election starts three weeks earlier on Feb. 13. Early voting in Whitfield County will take place in the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. In Murray County it takes place in the courthouse annex from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will end on March 2.

Voters will need to bring one of the six accepted forms of photo ID. They are: a valid state or federal government-issued photo ID; a Georgia driver’s license, even if it’s expired; a valid employee photo ID from any local, state or federal government; a valid U.S. passport; a valid U.S. military photo ID; or a valid tribal photo ID.

Those who plan on voting absentee can already request a ballot.

“We don’t have them in yet, but they can request one, and we will send them out as soon as we get them,” said Whitfield County Registrar Kay Staten.

The deadline to register to vote in the presidential primary is Feb. 6.

Whitfield County Republican Party Chairwoman Dianne Putnam said she senses a great deal of interest in the party’s presidential primary. With President Barack Obama facing no serious challenges on the Democratic side, Putnam said many independents may vote in the Republican primary.

Putnam said she can’t predict who will carry the area in the Republican primary but she believes former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will do well.

“That’s not to say we are endorsing anyone. But he is from Georgia and people here know him, and many of them like him. So I think he will get a lot of votes here,” she said.

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