#GeorgiaElections | AM 1180 Radio

March 9, 2026

Several Floyd County Commission Races Contested After Qualifying Ends

Local News, Local News Items #CountyCommission, #Election2026, #FloydCountyCommission, #floydcountyga, #GeorgiaElections, #georgiapolitics, #LocalGovernment, #LocalPolitics, #northwestgeorgia, #northwestgeorgianews, #PrimaryElection, #RomeGA, #wzqznews 0

Qualifying has officially ended for the May 19 primary election and the November 3 general election, setting up several contested races for the Floyd County Commission.

In Floyd County Commission Post 1, incumbent Rhonda Wallace will face a Republican primary challenge from Shane Cowan.

In Post 4, incumbent David Thornton is being challenged in the Republican primary by Bryon Eugene Benefield. The winner of that race will face Democrat Fred Adams in the November general election.

The Post 5 seat, currently held by Scotty Hancock, is open as Hancock is not seeking re-election. Ronnie Kilgo, Cleve Jackson, and Tonya Eden Shepard will compete in the Republican primary, with the winner advancing to face Democrat Shonna Bailey in November.

February 28, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Advanced Voting Today for Congressional and State Senate Special Elections

Local News, Local News Items #AbsenteeVoting, #AdvanceVoting, #chattoogacounty, #CivicEngagement, #CommunityNews, #CongressionalElection, #EarlyVoting, #Election2026, #ElectionUpdate, #GeorgiaElections, #georgiapolitics, #LocalElection, #LocalGovernment, #lyerlyga, #MailInBallot, #MenloGA, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicNotice, #SpecialElection, #StateSenateElection, #summervillega, #trionga, #VoterTurnout, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County voters may cast their ballots today in the Special Election for the 14th Congressional District Race and the 53rd State Senate Race. As of yesterday morning, Friday, February 27, 2026 there have been 70 absentee by mail ballots issued. Of those, 26 have been accepted and 44 are outstanding. Yesterday was the last day to submit an application for an absentee by mail ballot for the March 10, 2026 Special Election. An additional 1,051 ballots have been cast during Advance Voting so far. Advance Voting continues today. Polls are open from 9 AM – 5 PM for Saturday voting (Today, February 28, 2026). All Advance Voting takes place in the Chattooga County Registrars Office located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville. Government issued photo ID is required.

February 26, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Chattooga County to Begin Early Processing of Absentee Ballots March 9

Local News, Local News Items #AbsenteeBallots, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaElections, #CivicEngagement, #CommerceStreet, #EarlyProcessing, #Election2026, #ElectionDay, #GeorgiaElections, #LocalGovernment, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicNotice, #summervillega, #VoteByMail, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County Elections officials will begin the early processing of Absentee by Mail ballots on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Registrar’s Office, 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville. The process is open to the public.

Early processing does not mean votes are being counted early. Instead, election workers carefully remove absentee ballots from their outer envelopes and prepare them for scanning. During this step, ballots are scanned into the system, but they are not tabulated or totaled.

Officials emphasize that actual vote tabulation will not occur until after the polls close on Election Day, in accordance with Georgia election law. The early processing step helps ensure results can be reported more efficiently once voting officially ends.

Residents who wish to observe the process may attend at the Registrar’s Office.

February 25, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Chattooga GOP and Chattooga Democrats Announce March 2–6 Qualifying for School Board Seats

Local News, Local News Items #CandidateQualifying, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyBoardOfEducation, #ChattoogaDemocrats, #ChattoogaRepublicanParty, #CommunityNews, #CynthiaHubler, #District2, #District3, #District4, #GeorgiaElections, #LocalElections, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #MeredithRosson, #northwestgeorgia, #SchoolBoardElection, #summervillega, #trionga, #wzqznews 0

Both the Chattooga County Republican Party and the Chattooga County Democratic Party have announced qualifying details for local candidates seeking to run for the Chattooga County Board of Education seats up for election in 2026: District/Seat #2 (Trion area outside the City of Trion), District/Seat #3 (Menlo and surrounding areas), and District/Seat #4 (Lyerly and the southern side of the county).

February 24, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Qualifying Set for State Court Judge, Board of Education Seats in Chattooga County

Local News, Local News Items #AdvanceVoting, #BoardOfEducation, #CandidateQualifying, #ChattoogaBOE, #chattoogacounty, #CivicEngagement, #GeorgiaElections, #LocalElection, #northwestgeorgia, #RegistrarOffice, #StateCourtJudge, #summervillega, #wzqznews 0

Qualifying for State Court Judge and Chattooga County Board of Education Seats 2, 3, and 4 will take place March 2 through March 6, 2026.

Qualifying will be held in the Chattooga County Registrar’s Office, located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville, for all Independent and Nonpartisan candidates. Hours for qualifying are Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Friday from 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Election officials remind residents that Advance Voting will still be ongoing during that same time period. Anyone with questions about qualifying can email chattoogaregistrar@gmail.com, call 706-857-0739, or visit the Registrar’s Office in person.

February 23, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Holly Chaney Announces Candidacy for Georgia State House District 12

Local News, Local News Items #CandidateAnnouncement, #ChattoogaCountyGeorgia, #CivilRights, #CommunityAdvocate, #District12Georgia, #EnvironmentalProtection, #EqualProtectionUnderTheLaw, #FloydCountyGeorgia, #GeorgiaElections, #GeorgiaHouseDistrict12, #GeorgiaStateHouse, #HistoricPreservation, #HollyChaney, #LocalGovernmentAccountability, #NorthwestGeorgiaPolitics, #ResponsibleSpending, #WorkingFamilies, #wzqznews 0

Holly Chaney has announced she is running to represent District 12 in the Georgia State House, a district that includes Chattooga County and portions of Floyd County.

February 21, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

PSC Commissioner Tricia Pridemore Won’t Seek Reelection, Weighs Possible Run for Congress

Local News, Local News Items #10GigawattExpansion, #AliciaJohnson, #BarryLoudermilk, #CapitolBeatNewsService, #CongressRun, #CostOfLiving, #DataCenters, #ElectricRates, #EnergyDemand, #FitzJohnson, #FloydCountyGeorgia, #GeorgiaElections, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #GeorgiaPressAssociation, #georgiapsc, #GeorgiaPublicServiceCommission, #GridExpansion, #northwestgeorgia, #PeterHubbard, #PSCCommissioners, #StatewideElections, #TimEchols, #TriciaPridemore, #USHouseRace, #UtilityRegulation, #wzqznews 0

Republican Georgia Public Service Commission incumbent Tricia Pridemore announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, a move that adds fresh uncertainty to the balance of power on the five-member panel that regulates monopoly utilities such as Georgia Power.

February 20, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Special Election Saturday Early Voting Happening This Weekend

Local News, Local News Items #AdvanceVoting, #chattoogacounty, #CivicDuty, #CommunityNews, #EarlyVoting, #GeorgiaElections, #GoVote, #LocalGovernment, #MakeYourVoiceHeard, #March10Election, #northwestgeorgia, #SpecialElection2026, #summervillega, #wzqznews 0

Early voting is underway in the special elections to fill the 53rd Senate District seat in the Georgia General Assembly and the race for the 14th Congressional District in the U.S. Congress.

February 9, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Today Is Deadline To Register to Vote For March 10 Special Election

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #CivicEngagement, #CommunityUpdate, #District14, #ElectionDeadline, #GeorgiaElections, #LocalNews, #northwestgeorgia, #SpecialElection, #VoterRegistration, #wzqznews, #YourVoteMatters 0

Today, Monday, February 9, 2026, is the last day to register to vote for the March 10th Special Election for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 14.

January 16, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Crowded Field Forms in Northwest Georgia as Candidate Qualifying Ends for Open Congressional Seat

Local News, Local News Items #CatoosaCounty, #chattoogacounty, #cobbcounty, #CongressionalRace, #DadeCounty, #FloydCounty, #GA14, #GeorgiaElections, #georgiapolitics, #LocalNews, #northwestgeorgia, #PauldingCounty, #PolkCounty, #SpecialElection, #WalkerCounty, #WhitfieldCounty 0

Candidate qualifying concluded on Wednesday for the Special Election to fill the unexpired term of Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. There are 17 Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent who will be vying for the seat during the March 10 election.