Chattooga County Election Superintendent and Probate Judge Gary Woods is reminding potential candidates that qualifying will take place next week for local offices.  Voters will be choosing candidates for sole commissioner, sheriff, tax commissioner, magistrate judge, probate judge, clerk of superior court, coroner, and two school board seats on the Chattooga Board of Education. 

Judge Woods told WZQZ News over the weekend that only candidates approved ahead of time by the Chattooga County Republican Party will be allowed to qualify as Republican candidates next week.  The local GOP party has already held their five-person vetting session to decide which candidates can run.  Since that time, at least one other candidate has announced intentions to run.  The local political party says that they will hold special sessions to accommodate potential candidates.

WZQZ News asked Judge Woods what would happen if a potential Republican candidate made the decision to run minutes before qualifying time ends on Friday, March 8th at noon.  Judge Woods said his only option would be to allow that candidate to qualify as an independent.

Local Democrats say that they will not pre-qualify any potential candidates and that they will voters in the primary determine who gets to represent the Democratic Party on the ballot.

Judge Woods said anyone wanting to qualify as an independent can do so with him and bypass both political parties.  Those candidates would then have to gather signatures of registered Chattooga County voters in good standing in order to appear on the November General Election ballot.

Qualifying dates are next Monday, March 4, 2024 until Friday, March 8, 2024 at noon.