Breaking down Wilkinson County’s ballot for the upcoming election

The endless campaign commercials. The barrage of unsolicited text messages with silly GIFs.

All of that will be history by this time next week, as election day is upon us. All nine precincts in Wilkinson County will open bright and early at 7 a.m. Tuesday. It’s important to remember that the courthouse in Irwinton is not one of those nine precincts. With early/advance voting becoming increasingly popular, it’s become common for voters to show up at the courthouse on election day to vote. The courthouse is for early/advance voting only, however, and anyone attempting to vote at the courthouse on Tuesday will be turned around and told to vote at their assigned precinct.

A total of 2,045 voters in Wilkinson County already had taken advantage of early/advance voting by Monday, representing roughly 29% of all registered voters. The final day to vote early is Friday. Also, absentee ballots can be dropped off in the “drop box” at the courthouse or in-person at the Elections Superintendent’s Office through Tuesday at 7 p.m. when polls close.

Wilkinson County has not had a Democratic presidential candidate win the most votes since 2000, and the area is expected to give their votes to Donald Trump. 

In terms of countywide local races, here’s a preview, as well as how the names will appear on the ballot:

• Judge of the Probate Court – S. Amanda Holder (R) is running unopposed. 
  Back in May, the Democrat in the race – Bradasia Mims – was ruled ineligible after it was discovered that she did not meet the minimum age requirement. Essentially, candidates are required to be at least 25 years old upon qualifying. Qualifying week was back in March. Mims didn’t turn 25 until earlier in May. 
  Elections Superintendent Kelly Chatman is the person who first noticed the oversight after Mims made a “birthday post” on Facebook. Holder and Mims both currently work in the Probate Judge’s office. Their boss – Lisa Dykes – earlier this year decided not to seek re-election.
• Clerk of the Superior Court – Incumbent Kimberly Bentley (R) is the only name on the ballot, which means that Bentley is assured of winning her first full term. 
  Bentley, who’s worked in the Clerk of Superior Court’s office for a number of years, has led the office since the retirement of Cinda Bright in early 2023. Bright had been on the job for roughly four decades, and Bentley was her protege.
• Sheriff – Incumbent Richard Chatman (D) is one of the longest-serving sheriffs in Georgia and seeking his eighth term.
  Chancey R. Allen (R) is a Gordon resident who has worked at a myriad of different law enforcement agencies in recent years. 
  Chatman tallied 929 votes during the May primary, while Chancey Allen had 423 votes on the Republican side, although more than 900 voters in Wilkinson took part in the Republican primary.
• Tax Commissioner – This is expected to be the most closely-contested local race on Tuesday. Incumbent Jamesha Anderson (D) is the county’s current Tax Commissioner and was sworn into office in May 2022 after then-Tax Commissioner Vanessa Lewis resigned and went to work in the private sector. 
  Anderson’s opponent is Amanda M. Panther (R). Anderson and Panther have both worked in the Tax Commissioner’s Office for a number of years. 
  Lewis, the aforementioned previous tax commissioner, is endorsing Anderson.
• Coroner – Billy Matthews, Wilco’s longtime coroner, is calling it a day, opening the door for a new crop of coroner candidates. James “Dusty” Thomas (R) has worked for Matthews for a number of years, while Aisha Edmonds (D) was the top vote-getter in the May primary, outpacing David Austin by a vote count of 478-429.
• County Board of Education Chairman – Incumbent Roger L. Smith (D) is seeking another term and has been relatively quiet this election season compared to his challenger, David Hadarits (R). Hadarits has been especially outspoken on Facebook and has driven plenty of conversation about lagging standardized test scores and millage rates and spending per pupil in Wilkinson County. 
  Hadarits also was arrested in early September, which followed a disagreement with Elections Superintendent Kelly Chatman inside of Chatman’s office at the courthouse.
• County Board of Education Representative District 3 –  Incumbent Leroy Strange (D) is vying for reelection against Johanna Rogers (R), but only voters within this district will spot this contest on their ballots. 

Per usual, the best way to approach voting season is to utilize the Georgia Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page,” where voters can check their registration status, double check their precinct and even view a personalized sample ballot. The website is www.mvp.sos.ga.gov