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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Today's election reminder
of presidential primary in March
By Lynn Ledford
Gwinnett Voting Registrar
Special to GwinnettForum.com
NOV. 4, 2003 -- "Voting locally makes a difference nationally!"
That's our motto for today's City Elections. I hope that everyone
who is a qualified registered voter within the cities will make
the effort to vote.
As an election official it's hard for me to understand the concept
that people will not vote if the line is too long, or they don't
have enough information or they just did not know there was an election.
Perhaps the problem would then be the polling locations. Our responsibility
to the voters is to locate facilities that are large enough and
meet all of the legal requirements.
To better accommodate the voter population of Gwinnett, the elections
office began taking a closer look at the polling sites. Some precincts
that that were too large either by law, or too large to be accommodated
by the facility were divided.
We've made changes to 41 precincts, and added 10. So we will go
from 138 to 148 precincts. There's the possibility that that figure
may go up in 2004. We're looking for facilities for a couple of
other polls.
One other thing to consider is that the number of poll officials
to be trained goes up as well. We'll be using approximately 2,200
poll workers for each election next year. They must be trained,
by law, prior to each election. Currently we've scheduled approximately
80 training classes for next year. So there's another layer of complexity,
because we do not have enough poll officials to fill all of those
slots yet.
Using a different formula to distribute election equipment is also
going to be helpful. In all approximately 60,000 Gwinnett voters
will have a new polling place or new political districts when they
go to the polls in March for the Presidential Preference Primary
election. The changes will be official in January and all voters
affected will receive a new precinct identification card listing
their new polling location and/or new political districts.
We would also encourage the voters to let us know if there is a
facility that would better serve as a poll area. Voters know their
communities better than we do, and we welcome all suggestions.
Although there will always be lines for elections and longer lines
for the presidential elections, we're hoping this year that they
will be considerably shorter.
During the March, 2000 Presidential Preference Primary, with 224,020
people registered in Gwinnett, 60,002 voted, or 30.8 percent. For
2004, I estimate we will have between 290-300,000 people registered.
You may remember that the question of whether we should keep the
present Georgia flag will also be on that ballot. I think because
of the flag issue the percentages may go up but only about five
to seven percent. It'll really depend upon the publicity that those
who are for and against the issue will get. We haven't heard much
lately, but when the legislature goes back into session in 2004
I'm sure it'll be a hot topic.
Also in 2004 we will have "Advance" or "No-excuse"
absentee voting. I think that once the voting population realizes
that they have that option, more people will begin to take advantage,
and that may also increase the percentages.
Other jurisdictions outside of Georgia that I've spoken with say
their percentages have gone up approximately 42 percent because
of advance voting. Ours will not be that high because initially
we're only going to make it available at GJAC, but by 2006 I see
the possibility of having satellite locations for this and absentee
voting.
To obtain additional information about Voter Registration and Elections
please visit the county's website at www.gwinnettcounty.com
and the Georgia Counts website at www.georgiacounts.com.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
A
year away from voting on president for next four years
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
NOV. 4, 2003 -- One year from today, Americans will go to the polls
to pick their choice for president for the next four years. Today,
election day in some cities, let's ponder the political future.
 What's
the chance of President Bush being re-elected?
An incumbent president always wields unusual power. The way the
Bush Administration has heavy-handed many of their opportunities,
you can depend on them using all the muscle they can flex on the
re-election. That is something you would expect, however, from any
sitting president running for re-election..
The two major issues facing the country will concern the conduct
of the war in Iraq, and its consequences; and the handling of the
economy.
In both these situations, the President is vulnerable. While recently
the economy has shown good growth, it has done so without the creation
of new jobs. The Bush Administration stands the chance that theirs
will be four years when there were actual job losses in this country,
in spite of growth, and in spite of the recovering economy. That
can spell nothing but doom for the Bush people, unless that is even
more a robust growth in the coming year. For the Bush Administration
to gain from the recovery of the economy, there will have to be
job growth.
The war in Iraq, we feel, is even a bigger issue for the President.
From his unilateral decision to go into Iraq, making the Congress
virtually powerless...to his staged-on-the-aircraft carrier declaration
that the war was over...to the frustrating attempt to bring calm,
dignity and peace to this fragile country..and to the continuing
daily loss of lives of Americans stationed there...to the luke-warm
and lessening support of Allies...Mr. Bush is in trouble. His conduct
of this war could topple him, too.
Remember, the Bush-Gore election ended with Mr. Gore actually getting
more votes. The returns in Florida's questionable voting, aided
by the Courts, sealed the victory for Mr. Bush, with the country
essentially divided.
Therefore, with the previous election so close, and with the mounting
negative forces of the Bush yearsŠ.even in the face of the
incumbency, Mr. Bush could be in jeopardy.
You notice so far no mention of his Democratic opponent. While
the next few months will batter and bruise first one Democratic
candidate after another in their 10-person race, the Democrats will
emerge strong and united in their efforts to unseat Mr. Bush. So
the upshot is that it doesn't matter a whole lot who Democrats field
to challenge the sitting president.
The 2000 election was close. So may be 2004. Don't write off either
side in the next 12 months.
No matter which of the two major candidates emerges as the winner
of the presidency in 2004, we all hope for an election where the
country knows that it has fairly chosen its leader for the next
four years. We don't need another Florida fiasco and Supreme Court
involvement.
Let the 2004 election clear the air, and the United States move
forward.
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FEEDBACK
11/4: How church
can remind you of Zell Miller
Editor, the Forum:
In a Zell Miller-like moment of truth, our preacher recently
said, "This church has all the money it needs. At the moment,
it just happens to be in your bank accounts."
-- Brian Luders, Duluth
RECOGNITION
Snellville
cops Urban Forest Council Award for 2003
The Georgia Urban Forest Council (GUFC) has named the City
of Snellville its 2003 Community of the Year. GUFC is a statewide
non-profit organization that promotes urban forestry policies,
programs and practices to improve the quality of life in Georgia
cities and communities.
Snellville implemented its community forestry program in 2000
with the hiring of a City Arborist, Jessica Roth.
Among the citations for Snellville winning the award were
… Multiple amendments to strengthen the Tree and Landscape
Ordinances;
… Implementation of a street-tree program for all new residential
developments;
… Allocation of over $85,000 for tree plantings on public
property;
… Receipt of a 2003 Georgia Forestry Commission grant to
implement a public education and outreach program on the benefits
of trees and their proper care;
… Greenspace acquisition program;
… A tree preservation project at the Recycling Center under
construction;
… Significant stream buffer requirements that ensure preservation
of those environmentally critical areas.
GUFC will present the award to City representatives at its
November 5 annual conference and awards luncheon in Columbus.
CALENDAR
Reception for
George Keener, Wind Ensemble on tap Nov. 6
The Gwinnett Council for the Arts invites you to attend a reception
in memory of the late artist George Keener on November 6 from
5-7 p.m. at the Norcross Studio and Gallery, 116 Carlyle Street,
Norcross.
* * * * *
In addition, that same night, the Gwinnett Philharmonic will
present the Piedmont Winds Ensemble in concert at 8 p.m. at
the Gwinnett Performing Art Center.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
On the various directions
for living one's life
"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that
I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width
of it as well."
-- Diane Ackerman, via Deb Roberts, Duluth
What's your favorite saying? Share with others through
GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
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Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
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