Marietta Election 2021: Candidates, How To Vote

MARIETTA, GA — Marietta voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2 to vote in the Marietta mayor, City Council and Marietta City Schools Board of Education races, as well as answer if they want to approve or deny a 1 percent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Tuesday's election includes 11 candidates running for six seats on Marietta City Council; two candidates running for Marietta mayor; and 13 candidates running for seven seats on the Marietta City Schools board. All the races are nonpartisan.

ID Requirements

An acceptable form of ID is required for absentee voting, in-person early voting and Election Day voting. There are six forms of acceptable ID:

• Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).
• A Georgia driver's license, even if expired.
• Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state.
• Valid U.S. passport ID.
• Valid U.S. military photo ID.
• Valid tribal photo ID.

If you do not have one of the six acceptable forms of photo ID, Georgia offers a free voter ID card. An ID card can be issued at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office free of charge.

To receive a voter identification card, the voter must provide:

• A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes full legal name and date of birth.
• Documentation showing the voter's date of birth.
• Evidence that the applicant is a registered voter.
• Documentation showing the applicant's name and residential address.

For more information, visit the Georgia Secretary of State's voter requirements page.

Absentee Voting

The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration must receive absentee ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. You can send in the ballot by mail, email to absentee@cobbcounty.org or drop it off in person at its main office at 736 Whitlock Avenue NW, Suite 400 in Marietta.

The mailing address is as follows:

Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration
P.O. Box 649
Marietta, GA 30061

OR, if using a shipping service that doesn't mail to P.O. boxes:

Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration
736 Whitlock Avenue NW, Suite 400
Marietta, GA 30064

During the early voting period — which runs 7 a.m-7 p.m. on weekdays until Friday, Oct. 29 — voters who have requested and filled out an absentee ballot but have not yet returned it can drop it off in person at any of the following locations during voting hours:

• Cobb County Elections and Voter Registration Office, 736 Whitlock Avenue NW, Marietta
• Roberts School Community Center, 4681 School St., Acworth
• Austell Community Center at Collar Park, 2625 Joe Jerkins Blvd., Austell
• Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Dr., Kennesaw
• Ron Anderson Rec Center Community Room, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs
• The Art Place, 3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta

Additionally, as a new offering, Cobb Elections is piloting a program that allows voters to hand-deliver a voted ballot to an absentee ballot clerk at select libraries throughout the county from Oct. 25-30 and Nov. 1 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.:

• West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw
• Powder Springs Library, 4181 Atlanta St., Powder Springs
• East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 510-B, Marietta

In-Person Early Voting

In-person early voting ends 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 in Cobb County. Marietta voters can cast their ballot at any early voting location in the county during the early voting period, but on Election Day, you must vote at your assigned voting precinct location.

The early voting locations are as follows:

• Cobb County Elections Office, 736 Whitlock Avenue NW, Marietta
• Roberts School Community Center, 4681 School St., Acworth
• Austell Community Center at Collar Park, 2625 Joe Jerkins Blvd., Austell
• Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Dr., Kennesaw
• Ron Anderson Rec Center Community Room, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs
• The Art Place, 3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta

Visit www.cobbelections.org to help you find the shortest line.

How To Vote On Election Day

City of Marietta residents registered to vote in Georgia can vote in Tuesday's general and special elections by visiting their assigned polling place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. will still be allowed to vote, even if they don't physically get into the voting area until past that time.

Residents can look up their polling place and confirm their voter registration status at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov. An acceptable form of ID is required for in-person voting.

Below is a list of candidates for each race:

Marietta Mayor

• Michelle Cooper Kelly
• Steve "Thunder" Tumlin (Incumbent)

Marietta City Council

Ward 1

• Cheryl Richardson (Incumbent)

Ward 2

• Grif Chalfant (Incumbent)
• John Silvey

Ward 3

• Johnny Walker (Incumbent)

Ward 4

• Ted Ferreira
• Andy Morris (Incumbent)

Ward 5

• M. Carlyle Kent
• Cristina Stallworth
• Reggie Copeland (Incumbent)

Ward 6

• Andre Sims

Ward 7

• Joseph R. Goldstein (Incumbent)

Where To View Results

Once polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial election results will begin to appear on the Georgia Secretary of State's website. Check back with Patch as we provide coverage of the Marietta mayoral, City Council and school board election results, as well as the Ed-SPLOST results.

SEE ALSO:

• Candidate Profile: Michelle Cooper Kelly For Marietta Mayor
• Candidate Profile: Ted Ferreira For Marietta City Council
• Candidate Profile: John Silvey For Marietta City Council
• Candidate Profile: Johnny Walker For Marietta City Council
• Candidate Profile: George Darden For Marietta City Schools Board
• Candidate Profile: Irene Holly Berens For Marietta City Schools