Mableton Heads To The Polls In Historic Special Election

MABLETON, GA — For the first time, a Cobb County city is heading to the polls to select a mayor and members of its city council.

Residents in Mableton are participating in a special election Tuesday, a little over four months after voting in the November general election to make Mableton an incorporated city. Mableton has 24 months to make the transition into its new cityhood.

Polls are closing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and absentee ballots must be returned to the elections office by then. The elections office is located at 995 Roswell St. in Marietta.

Fifteen precincts are open to voters in the special election. People can locate their assigned polling places on the Secretary of State's My Voter Page.

Three council members will serve until December 2025 while the remaining three will serve until December 2027. Following the inaugural city council, coucilmembers will serve four-year terms.

Elected officials cannot serve longer than three consecutive terms, officials said.

Six candidates qualified for mayor while 25 candidates qualified for the city council.

The city election saw some challenges in the days leading to the polls with the removal of few candidates.

Two candidates, Rev. Henry Okafor and Paul Chukelu, were disqualified due to returned checks while mayoral candidate Charles Ford withdrew from the race citing "recent unforeseen events," Janine Eveler, director of the Cobb County Elections and Registration Office, told Patch.

Okafor was running for mayor while Chukelu was running for the District 3 council seat. In January, Okafor told Patch that guiding Mableton was his dream and passion.

A full list of candidates can be found on the elections office's website.

More information on voting in the special election can be found by calling (770) 528-2581 or by emailing the elections office.