Hide your power tools and plug your ears. After spending 17 years underground, cicadas are set to swarm in the summer.

Brood X, aka the Great Eastern Brood, is a large group of periodical cicadas or “magicicadas” that emerges every 17 years across 11 states, including Georgia. Brood X is composed of three different species: Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada Cassini, and Magicicada septendecula.

Jason Christian, instructor of biology at GHC, remembers the last emergence of Brood X in 2004. “I was always an avid outdoorsman, so the large density of them in nature is always a memorable experience if you should find yourself outside when they are out,” said Christian. Christian has studied ecology for over 10 years, and in his 8 years at GHC, he has helped many of his students collect and identify cicadas for insect projects.

The periodical cicadas of Brood X are not the same as the annual cicadas that set the ambiance of Georgia summer evenings each year. While annual cicadas have populations that emerge every year, periodical cicadas emerge in 13 or 17-year cycles.

The most striking difference visually between these cicadas is their color palettes — Georgia’s annual cicadas tend to be shades of green, while periodical cicadas are black with red eyes. Periodical cicadas are also smaller and have distinctly different songs than their annual cousins.

Northern counties in Georgia such as Gilmer, Union, and White are likely to see the insects popping up this summer.

“The densities [Brood X] can emerge in their highest concentration [and] can be as many as 1.5 million per acre!” said Christian, “North Georgia is at the lower part of their range that stretches across most of the eastern United States. Not everyone will see or hear the largest of the emergencies, as they are not distributed evenly over north Georgia. So some will encounter high densities and others may not even notice anything is happening.”

“The emergence is triggered when soil temperatures 8 inches down reach about 63-64 degrees, so in northwest Georgia that might be as early as late April or as late as mid-May,” said Christian.

When the weather gets warm, thousands of cicadas will dig their way out of the ground and climb the nearest vertical surface to molt, leaving behind their exuviae, or molted exoskeletons. After the adult insects’ wings sclerotize or harden, they take off to find a mate.

Once they emerge, cicadas only live for a couple of weeks, but in that time they accomplish a lot. “The males use special organs in their abdomen to vibrate air in order to ‘sing’ their mating call,” said Christian.

“Most people are familiar with cicada singing,” said Christian, “even if they are not aware that is the sound you are hearing. To me it’s the sound of summer, when you are in nature during the day you hear various ‘hums’ coming from the area surrounding you, the most common thing making these noises are cicadas! Cicadas are known to be quite loud. Some species have been recorded producing over 100 decibels of noise in their mating calls — that’s about equivalent to a chain saw or motorcycle.

“When a female finds the singing to her liking, they will mate. She lays her eggs on a tree and then the adults die,” said Christian.

A few weeks later, their offspring hatch and make their way to the ground to start the 17-year cycle over again. Cicada nymphs spend most of their life burrowing underground and feeding on plant roots.

But why do they spend so long underground? Christian explained that cicadas do this to avoid predators. “Not all species spend that long underground,” said Christian, “But the staggering of years prevents too many species from syncing up with their predators. If everyone came out at the same time, then over enough time predators would respond similarly and it would be negative pressure on the survival of cicadas.”

“Cicadas are a big part of the food chain. It’s basically Thanksgiving dinner for almost every predator during these large emergencies,” said Christian. Birds, fish, rodents, and other insects are among the many predators of cicadas.

After 2021, Brood X will not be seen again until 2038. Georgia will see a few other broods before then, including the next emergence of Brood XIX in 2024 — which will be an even bigger event in Georgia than this summer. Even though cicadas don’t pose any danger to humans or pets, those with entomophobia may be tempted to stay indoors or travel out of state when 2024 rolls around!

Those of us who aren’t averse to creepy-crawlies can lend a hand to a scientific cause by helping to map Brood X’s emergence.

Anyone who sees or hears a cicada can record their sightings with the University of Connecticut’s Cicada Tracker or with the Cicada Safari app developed by Mount St. Joseph University. Scientists at the University of Connecticut are interested in tracking 2021 emergences in northern Georgia, in particular, as some of the cicadas here could be stragglers from Brood VI.

On Jan. 12, GHC welcomed “March” co-author Andrew Aydin for a discussion on the graphic novel series and his experience working with the late Congressman John Lewis.

Kimberly Lyons of the Student Spin Podcast and Lily Chesnut of the Six Mile Post moderated the Zoom interview with Aydin, which was followed by an open Q&A with students and professors. The meeting was the first in a series of “common reads” organized by GHC Student Engagement.

Raised by a single mother, Aydin grew up what he described as “99 cent hamburger poor,” because he and his mother, “only had enough money many nights to get a 99 cent Whopper for dinner.”

Aydin fell in love with comic books at a young age, attending his first convention when he was 12.

“I loved it because it was a collection of people who gathered together over their love of reading, fundamentally,” said Aydin, “I mean it was a different medium than most people would think, but that was why they gathered together — to talk about the stories, to trade, to just come together … the congressman would have called it fellowship.”

In creating “March,” Aydin surpassed his mother’s wildest expectations for him. “March” is a New York Times bestseller and has received numerous awards, including being the first graphic novel to win the National Book Award.

“That idea that you could come from nothing … and then stand on a stage with a civil rights icon in front of some of the fanciest, wealthiest, most well-to-do people in the world and hold up your comic book and say, ‘I deserve to be here.’ That to me was the highest achievement I could have,” said Aydin.

Aydin spoke on how comics like “March” can be valuable tools for teaching complex social issues such as systematic racism.

“Sequential narrative [is] the language of this generation,” said Aydin, ” I have a friend who’s a professor at San Francisco State and his name is Nick Sousanis. And we talk about this idea of information transfer theory. Like how quickly can you teach someone something that’s very complicated and nuanced? And I could give you a book, and you could learn it, but if I give you a comic book, and I do it well, you’re gonna learn it faster. And in many ways, by learning it faster, you’re going to learn it more effectively, and it’s gonna open more doors for your curiosity.”

In the words of “Maus” illustrator, Art Spiegelman, “Comics are a gateway drug to literacy.”

And in United States’ recent wake of racial unrest, Aydin has witnessed “March” take on a profound role in getting young people involved in civil rights.

It was wild actually to sorta see it come about last spring,” said Aydin, “I mean we talked about if we could get ‘March’ in schools, and we could teach a generation about nonviolent civil disobedience, that you would see an uprising among young people and a greater public consciousness around race … ‘March’ came out in 2013, and that happened in 2020 … it says something about the power of an idea whose time is come and the brief period in which change is possible.”

“When we would see those protests, we would see kids out there carrying ‘March’,” said Aydin, “We knew those kids. Those kids came to the office. So many of those leaders were kids [that] were coming from schools we speak to. And that, that was the goal.”

But even with tens of millions of people taking to the street in 2020 alone, Aydin is concerned that those sparks of civil unrest will burn out.

“My worry is that that’s the pinnacle,” said Aydin, “I want that to be a down payment. I don’t want that to be the fulfillment.”

“I hope especially as young people read this that they’ll remember that even the existence of the graphic novel was an act of nonviolent defiance,” said Aydin, “Because it defied the common wisdom. It defied the prevailing ideas of the time. It did it anyway.”

Students interested in reading “March: Book One” can pick up a free copy at any GHC library while supplies last. Student Engagement will be holding giveaways for copies of books two and three on their social media over the semester.

For Georgia, the 2020 election isn’t over. With none of the candidates in Georgia’s two Senate races achieving the majority vote required to win, the state will hold a double runoff for both seats on Jan. 5.

The regular Senate runoff is between Republican incumbent David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. The special election runoff is between Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock. The elections will determine whether the U.S. senate will be controlled by Republicans or will have a 50/50 split.

“I think it’s extremely important,” said Cartersville student John Perkins, “I think after the presidential election both parties should be passionate about voting in this election, whether they think highly of their candidates or not.”

Lucy Hale, president of the League of Women Voters for Rome-Floyd, is once again asking students to vote.

“A lot of people probably don’t really grasp how important voting for your senator is,” said Hale.

“This Senate runoff election in Georgia is uniquely important. They’re all important because the Senate vote — who you vote for your senator — is critical. This one is particularly important, and Georgia is the focus for the country of the importance of it, because Georgia’s election will determine what party, Republican or Democrat, is in the majority in the senate,” said Hale.

The Senate plays many roles in the U.S. government, including passing federal legislation, conducting special investigations, approving treaties and approving federal judges. The Senate is also responsible for checks and balances on the House and the executive branch. If a bill is rejected by the Senate, it is unlikely to make it into law.

Hale analogized Georgia’s Senate election to the second of two “bookends,” the first being the Presidential election in November.

“The president will have his hands tied in many ways if that senate majority is Republican. Now, if you’re a Republican, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But if you are one of the people who voted for Biden, this is not going to supply you with the agenda that you wanted for your president to pursue. Because when he and the house decide to do something, they put it together, they put it on the shelf. The bookend is not going to hold it there and it may fall off,” said Hale.

After the unprecedented turnout during the November election, Hale says it’s unlikely that we’ll see the same record-breaking numbers in January. Political fatigue, along with concerns about the weather and COVID-19, are major factors that may cause voters to skip out this year. Hale also noted that an increasing number of voters are losing faith in the fairness of the election process.

“[T]here have been people that are thinking there’s no point in my voting because somebody’s going to steal my vote or take it away, and that’s not just people that you are hearing about. That’s also inexperienced voters on both sides — both sides of the aisle. And I don’t know how we get across to them that we have had a recount, and a recount, and a recount, and we know your vote’s gonna count … So I’d like to emphasize that if you’re not gonna vote because you think your vote’s not gonna count, reconsider,” said Hale.

With continued concerns over misinformation regarding the elections, Hale provided a list of resources on the election that are from trustworthy, nonpartisan sources.

While the registration deadline has already passed, voters who participated in the November election are already registered for the January runoff. Students can check their voter status and polling locations at the Georgia Secretary of State My Voter Page or their County’s Board of Elections website, listed below:

Floyd County
Paulding County
Bartow County
Cobb County, or for advance voting locations, dates and times, click here.
Douglas County

For info on candidates and their policies, the Campus Election Engagement Project and the Atlanta Journal Constitution provide in-depth guides for both races.

When asked what he would say to students skipping the election, Perkins said, “It doesn’t matter what party you are. It’s America’s future that’s in your hands. And if you want a blue senate, then go out and vote for Warnock and Ossoff. If you want to keep the senate red, then go vote for Loeffler and Purdue.”

Andrew Aydin, co-author of the graphic novel trilogy “March,” is holding a virtual Q&A on Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are invited to participate as Aydin discusses what inspired the book and what it was like to work with civil rights leader and Congressman, John Lewis.

“March” is an autobiography of Lewis’ lifelong involvement in the civil rights movement. It was written in collaboration with Aydin and is brought to life with ink illustrations by award-winning graphic novelist, Nate Powell.

Readers are brought through the ups and downs of Lewis’ struggle for equality through stories of the Freedom Rides, Montgomery marches and Selma’s Bloody Sunday. “March” is a New York Times bestseller and recipient of numerous awards, including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

Student Engagement Coordinator, Clifton Puckett, said the event is the first in a series of “common reads.”

“The purpose of a common read is a single book — or in this case graphic novel — that we can all read together and discuss.” said Puckett.

Virtual book discussions are planned to follow the event. Approximately 150 copies of the book will be made available to students.

Some of us are too familiar with the unwelcome houseguests that are stink bugs. When the cold weather hits, the shield-shaped insects flood our homes, trapping themselves in light fixtures and releasing an unpleasant odor if we are unfortunate enough to squish one.

The brown marmorated stink bug, or Halyomorpha halys, is a species of true bug native to Asia that was unintentionally introduced to the United States in the late 90’s. BMSB was first reported in Pennsylvania and is thought to have arrived via shipping containers. By 2011, the insect had spread to over 30 states, owed to its versatile diet and the country’s warm climate.

BMSB are distinguishable from native stink bug species by the light-colored bands present on their antennae and edges of their abdomen. Female stink bugs can lay over 400 eggs in a lifetime.

In recent years, the stink bug’s population has exploded and so have concerns about the pest. A single household can hide tens of thousands of the insects, who flock to houses and other man-made structures during the winter to hibernate. The bugs don’t reproduce or cause structural damage once inside, but their sheer numbers make them hard to ignore.

Douglasville student, Jeremy Thaxton, said that he’s been dealing with the pest for two years now.

“I find them annoying. One month they’re gone and the next month they’re there on the bathroom mirror, like, will you please go away? I’m trying to get ready. Stop buzzing around!” said Thaxton.

Stink bugs don’t bite or sting people or pets, but they do release a pungent odor when threatened or crushed. Floyd student Devin Ridge has experienced this defense mechanism firsthand.

“I actually had the unfortunate experience several months ago of having to change my entire work wardrobe because I got sprayed while I was getting ready for work,” said Ridge.

Once stink bugs enter a home, they can be difficult to remove, but this doesn’t stop people from coming up with creative solutions to get rid of the pest. Thaxton said he grabs the bugs and throws them outside or sucks them up with a shop-vac. However, those who try this should be warned, as sucking up the bugs can cause their vacuum to smell.

Ridge uses a similar strategy to rid her home of the pest, sucking up the bugs and depositing them in soapy water where they sink and drown. However, she still finds them return year after year.

“No matter how many you vacuum up and throw outside, we cannot seem to get rid of them,” said Ridge.

According to PennState arthropod expert, Michael Skvarla, the best way to keep these bugs out of homes is to seal the locations where the bugs enter.

BMSB may be the world’s worst roommates, but these insects turn from nuisance to threat when it comes to agriculture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes the insect as a serious agricultural pest that feeds on a wide variety of crops. Shrivelled almonds, discolored apples and dimpled tomatoes are all signs of a stink bug infestation.

Because of their feeding style, few pesticides work on the insect. Experts are instead looking into biological control, such as introducing natural predators and utilizing pathogens found in the species. But it doesn’t look like BMSB is going anywhere soon.

For now, we’ll just have to live with them — or grab our vacuums and hope for the best.

As election day approaches, the nation is abuzz with hopes and predictions. A record number of Americans have already cast their ballots, including plenty of GHC students who decided to vote early. To get an idea of GHC’s voter participation, the Six Mile Post surveyed students on how they’re voting and who they’re voting for.

SMP received a total of 49 responses from students of all campuses. For written answers students were given the option to remain anonymous.

Of the 49 students surveyed, 45 said they were voting this year. 22 are first-time voters, with 17 saying that 2020 is the first election they are of voting age. Students not voting this year said they were either too young to vote or disliked both candidates.

Of the voters, 37 said they went to an early polling location, while 6 used a mail-in ballot. 2 students said they were voting on election day.

When asked about candidate preference, 68.9% of students said they were voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. While 24.4% were voting for Republican nominee Donald Trump. 6.7% said they were voting for third party Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen.

Why are students voting Biden?

A majority of students voting for Biden cited disapproval of President Trump as a reason for their choice.

Cartersville student Lyndon Hobson said, “I absolutely did not want to vote for Biden, but this an election strictly to get Trump and his bigoted, ‘crooked’ as he would say, administration out of office.”

Like Hobson, multiple students said Biden was not their first choice and that they were settling for him as a vote against Trump.

“I chose Biden because it felt like my only choice. I don’t want Trump as my president, point-blank,” said Douglasville student Christina Nelson. “I would rather have someone I related to and felt like represented me and our country, but unfortunately, that person doesn’t exist right now.”

When it comes to policy, students said they agreed most with Biden on health care, LGBTQ rights, climate change, race relations and abortion rights. A few students gave personal background to their decision, including Douglasville student Monica Jimenez.
“As a person who was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at a very young age, my life feels invalidated and hated on by the current president,” said Jimenez. “I don’t feel like the country that I have lived in since I was three actually likes me and the division is horrible.”

Why are students voting Trump?

Students voting for Trump said they liked him for his business sense and how he’s handled the economy. While one student said they were choosing Trump as the “lesser of two evils,” most had something positive to say about the president.

“I think Present Trump has done more for this country then the last few presidents combined,” said Douglasville student Jeremy Thaxton, “He has kept all his campaign promise. He is doing what is best for the country not for himself or his political party.”

In addition to Thaxton, two other students said that Trump had done more in office than past presidents.

When it comes to policy, one anonymous student said he chose Trump because he believes in “private health care, protecting our borders, preventing socialism, and protecting the unborn.”

Why are students voting third party?

Students voting for Jorgensen said they did not want to vote for either Trump or Biden.

“We don’t have to settle for only a Republican or only a Democrat, 3rd party options exist and they are just as important,” said Cartersville student Jacob Sims.

Student predictions

At the end of the survey students were asked to predict who more GHC students will vote for. From this, two trends emerged. Firstly, although more students are voting for Biden, they predict more votes will go to Trump. Secondly, students who voted for Biden were more likely to predict Trump, and vise-versa.

Students said they predict Trump because Georgia is a red state and they have seen Trump support on campus. Those who predict Biden often cited personal experience or GHC’s diverse and well-educated student population.

An anonymous student who voted for Trump but did not make a prediction said, “The younger generation is easily swayed on things due to social media. They also tend to be more narrow minded and don’t look at the whole big picture. They also focus on one topic and ride the coattails. I feel like if they were older they would see what great things Trump has really done.”

Cartersville student Michael Adams, who voted for Biden but predicted Trump, said, “I don’t have a lot of faith in Rome. People act like they’re so loving and Christ-like yet they won’t hesitate in voting against peoples’ rights.”

The Six Mile Post thanks students who participated in the survey and invites others to share their voice. Students interested in being in future stories can email 6mpost@student.highlands.edu for more info.

Fall has a way of bringing out people’s creativity more than any other season. From baking pies to carving pumpkins, it seems there’s no shortage of hands-on ways to celebrate. For those who want a simple craft to kick off the season, these pumpkin-themed DIY projects are perfect!

Pumpkin Spice Candles

By Alexis Johnson

The smell of pumpkin spice can put anyone in a festive mood. These homemade candles are a great for home decor as well as gift giving.

Materials
· 2 cups soy wax flakes
· 1 candle wick with weighted bottom
· orange crayon
· 1 tsp pumpkin spice
· 1/2 tsp nutmeg
· 1/2 tsp cinnamon
· glass jar (mason jar, leftover jam or sauce jar)
· pencil

Directions
1. Heat the soy wax flakes in a pot over low heat. Stir as they melt.
2. Unwrap the orange crayon and break it up into smaller pieces. Drop into the melted wax mixture. Stir. Do not use food coloring!
3. Add the pumpkin spice, nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture and stir.
4. Place the wick into the glass jar and pour in the melted wax mixture.
5. Wrap the excess wick around a pencil and allow the wax to harden. This should take about 4 hours.
6. Once the candle has hardened, trim the wick. It is best to let it sit overnight before lighting it.
7. Light and enjoy this fragrant pumpkin spice candle!

Alexis based her DIY off of this video by Savvy, so those interested can watch it for a better idea of the final product.

Two ingredient pumpkin muffins

by Olivia Fortner

The smell of pumpkin spice can also make anyone hungry. These muffins are a quick and easy way to satisfy cool-weather cravings.

Ingredients
· 1 box spice cake mix
· 1 can pumpkin puree

Directions
1. Combine dry cake mix and pumpkin puree. Stir well.
2. Divide batter evenly into 12 standard muffin cups
3. Bake at 375 F for 18-20 minutes

Mini Clay Pumpkins

by Lily Chesnut

These pumpkins are fun to play with, but not to eat! Mini sculptures are a fantastic way to mix festivity with fine art.

Materials
· polymer clay in desired colors
· sewing pin
· toothpick or other thin tool

Directions
1. For the pumpkin body, roll a medium-sized piece of clay into the general shape desired
2. Press the toothpick in a rolling motion over the height of the pumpkin to create the rind texture
3. For curly vines, roll a small piece of green clay into a long strand. Curl the strand around and down the sewing pin. Bake for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove the vine from the pin. Attach to the body beneath the leaves/stem.
4. For leaves, mold a small piece of green clay into a flat leaf-like shape. Pinch to create a tapered end. Use the toothpick to create lines for texture.
5. For a stem, mold brown clay into a short tube shape. Attach to the top of the body along with the leaves/stem.
6. Bake for the time and temperature specified on the clay packaging. Different brands vary.

Lily based their DIY off of this video by Heather Wells, so those interested can watch it for a better idea of the sculpting process.

Students who are interested in seeing their completed DIYs or DIY tutorials featured in a follow-up story can send their info to 6mpost@student.highlands.edu.

This month, social media users are seeing an influx of drawings on their feeds. This is because artists worldwide are participating in Inktober, an art challenge where participants create one drawing for each day of the month to share on social media. GHC sees local artists of all ages getting in on the fun too.

According to the Inktober website, illustrator Jake Parker created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve his art skills. It has since become an annual event that attracts thousands of artists from all over the world.

“Fall is a period of cultural explosion,” said art professor Brian Barr, “that’s a perfect time to do something.”

Barr said that students should treat Inktober as a serious challenge while still having fun with it. He explained that art students can use Inktober as an opportunity to “work out” their artistic muscle and create a satisfying body of work.

The Inktober website describes the challenge as “focused on improving skill and developing positive drawing habits.” The framework provides artists with a list of 31 single-word art prompts for each day of October. Some of this year’s prompts include “outpost,” “wisp” and “crawl.” Some artists add another layer of challenge by keeping a consistent theme throughout the month or by creating more than one drawing per day.

Mallory Hobson, online student, said that “the prompts challenge me to draw things away from my particular musings.”

Hobson has participated in Inktober for the last five years and describes their work as “people-driven,” often taking the object prompts and turning them into characters.

Hobson is participating in Inktober tentatively this year and will be sharing their art on Instagram.

Inktober is an opportunity for younger artists to hone their skills as well. Grace Kozee, 12 year old daughter of english professor Julie Kozee, is trying the challenge for the first time this year. Grace is self-taught and chose art as a way to stay occupied and have something positive to focus on during homeschooling.

Grace’s mother, Julie Kozee said, “Honestly, Grace’s ability just came out of nowhere.”

Inktober is Grace’s first time drawing with ink so participating is a way for her to gain experience with the medium.

Artists are sharing their Inktober art via social media using the tags #inktober and #inktober2020

Students who are interested in having their Inktober art featured in a follow-up story can send their art to 6mpost@student.highlands.edu.

Oct. 5 voter registration deadline quickly approaches — Georgia League of Women Voters president, Lucy Hale, calls students to action this election season.

In the 2016 election, young people 18 to 29 years old contributed only 19% of votes. As we near the next election in the midst of ongoing pandemic, turnout is a bigger concern than ever. This is especially true for young voters, who historically vote less than other age groups.

“Young people have a reputation for being interested in politics but not following through,” said Lucy Hale, this Friday in an interview.

The League of Women Voters, or LWV, is a nonpartisan political organization whose mission is to empower voters and protect democracy through education and advocacy. Hale reached out to the Six Mile Post as a call to action for GHC students to vote this year.

“As an older person, I am counting on discerning voters like those in the Georgia Highlands College community to be committed voters this election,” said Hale.

Hale emphasized that voting is a way to create change and that students should view voting as something they do for their future. These sentiments are echoed by others on campus who want to see students at the polls this year.

“What I think GHC students should remember is that for every one of them that doesn’t vote, that’s another elected official who was picked by their grandparents,” said Steve Stuglin, a communications professor who is holding a course on engaging in the 2020 election this semester.

Through his teaching, Stuglin invites students to engage in political content at their own pace. Like Hale, Stuglin stresses what’s at stake for young people in voting, even mentioning the consequences of not doing so.

“It’s our means of engaging with the democratic republic in which we live. It’s our fundamental piece of power… The number one consequence of not voting is you might feel even more powerless than you did before… Like you had some power and you chose not to exercise it,” said Stuglin.

Hale suggests creating a voting plan as the first step for voters who are unsure of how to begin.

Step One: Register

Potential voters should check their registration status at My Voter Page. If not already registered, it only takes a few minutes. Registration closes October 5.

Step Two: Decide how to vote

Voters planning on going in person on November 3 can find polling locations with My Voter Page.

For early voting, use this tool from the Secretary of State website to find voting locations and times. October 30 is the last day for early voting.

Another option is absentee voting, or voting by mail.

To request an absentee ballot, complete an absentee ballot form and return it to the county registration office. Fill out the form online via the Secretary of State absentee ballot request portal. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 30.

After filling out an absentee ballot, mail it to the correct local election board or leave it in a ballot drop box. Use this website to locate drop boxes for specific areas.

Absentee ballots must be received by November 3.

Step three: Get Informed

Each county’s board of elections webpage contains information about each candidate and provides a sample ballot. Research candidates ahead of time to be thoroughly informed and ready to vote.

County Board of Elections Websites:
Rome/Floyd
Douglas
Bartow
Cobb
Paulding

Additional resources for voting:

Calendar of Important Dates for voter registration

League of Women Voters homepage

VOTE411, a one-stop resource for election-related information provided by LWV.

LWV document a step by step guide on the voting process

We’ll see you at the polls!