In-person advance voting for the July 31 elections starts today and runs through July 27.

A host of local races and Georgia General Assembly seats are on the ballot, along with a decision on the proposed TSPLOST — a $1.4 billion transportation sales tax package for the 15 Northwest Georgia counties.

Click here to see the proposed TSPLOST package, including project maps.

Also, the state Republican and Democratic parties each have several non-binding questions, including one on capping lobbyist gifts to lawmakers at $100 a day.

Floyd County voters may cast ballots Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Floyd County Elections Office, 12 E. Fourth Ave.

Click here to visit the My Voter Page website to see your personalized sample ballot.

A special Saturday voting date is set for July 21, and the Rome Civic Center on Jackson Hill also will be open July 23–26. All precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Absentee voting by mail has been going on since mid-June, but Elections Clerk Donna Brandon said demand has been tepid.

“We’ve sent out over 400 ballots, but there aren’t a lot of new requests since the presidential preference primary,” she said.

Just 12,573 Floyd County voters cast ballots in the March presidential primary. There were 44,890 registered voters in the county as of June 1, but residents had through July 2 to sign up for the upcoming elections.

Primary voters must pick a party

Elections Supervisor Evon Billups issued a reminder about the July 31 election: voters in local and state races must request either a Democrat or Republican ballot.

“We have open primaries in Georgia, so they can pick either one. But they have to pick one or the other,” she said.

The Democratic ballot has no contested races, but the Republican ballot has two.

Three Republicans are running for the vacant state Senate District 52 seat: David Doss, Chuck Hufstetler and Hayden Collins. There is no Democratic candidate, so the election will be decided in the primary — or an Aug. 21 runoff, if necessary.

Also, Roger Wade is challenging incumbent Floyd County Commissioner Garry Fricks in the Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Gary D. Harrell in November.

Both the Democrat and Republican ballots will contain the TSPLOST, judicial races and two Floyd County Commission special election contests.

Rhonda Wallace and Nathan Roberts are vying to fill the Post 1 seat vacated by Chad Whitefield. Jerry Lee and Larry Maxey are both seeking the Post 4 seat that belonged to Eddie Lumsden.

The winners of the two elections will take office in August and serve the unexpired terms through December 2013.

A nonpartisan ballot is available, but it will contain only the TSPLOST referendum and the judicial races.

Superior Court Judges J. Bryant Durham and Jack Niedrach, Probate Judge Steve Burkhalter and Chief Magistrate Gene Richardson are unopposed for re-election.

Click here to see a photo essay on how to use an electronic voting machine.

July 31 elections

The following races will appear on all ballots, along with the regional transportation sales tax (TSPLOST) question and several nonbinding referenda:

• Nonpartisan
  
  Incumbents have no challengers
  
  Chief Magistrate Gene Richardson
  
  Probate Court Judge Steve Burkhalter
  
  Superior Court Judge J. Bryant Durham
  
  Superior Court Judge John E. (Jack) Niedrach
• Special election
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 1
  
  Rhonda Wallace, Nathan Roberts
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 4
  
  Larry Maxey, Jerry Lee
  
  Voters must choose either a Democrat or Republican ballot for the party primary elections:
• Democrat
  
  U.S. Congress 14th District
  
  Daniel “Danny” Grant
  
  * State House District 12
  
  Barbara Massey Reece (I)
  
  Floyd County District Attorney
  
  Leigh Patterson (I)
  
  Sheriff
  
  Tim Burkhalter (I)
  
  County Coroner
  
  Barry Henderson (I)
  
  Superior Court Clerk
  
  Barbara Penson (I)
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 2
  
  Gary D. Harrell
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 3
  
  Rick Garrett
  
  * Floyd County School Board, District 2
  
  Everett Ballard
  
  * Floyd County School Board, District 5
  
  George Bevels (I)
• Republican
  
  U.S. Congress 14th District
  
  Tom Graves (I)
  
  State Senate District 52
  
  David Doss, Hayden Collins, Chuck Hufstetler
  
  * State House District 12
  
  Eddie Lumsden
  
  * State House District 13
  
  Katie Dempsey (I)
  
  * State House District 14
  
  Christian Coomer (I)
  
  Sheriff
  
  Cary Cooper
  
  Tax Commissioner
  
  Kevin Payne (I)
  
  Superior Court Clerk
  
  Mark McAllister
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 2
  
  Garry Fricks (I), Roger Wade
  
  Floyd County Commission, Post 3
  
  Irwin Bagwell (I)
  
  * Floyd County School Board, District 2
  
  David Cox
  
  * Floyd County School Board, District 3
  
  Brian Barcomb (I)
  
  * Only voters in the appropriate district will receive ballots listing the race.