Election, Run-offs and Fall Bursting Out All Over

Morguefile/jdurham

Election Day 2017 took place on November 7. For some candidates, the results are complete and for others, there will be run-off elections on Tuesday, December 5. Please mark your calendars.

Now some folks out there might be saying, “What? I just voted for a president last year! What’s this all about?”

Indeed, one would have had to be in their own worlds not to notice the political signs all over the metro Atlanta area these past weeks. That trend continues into the "run-off season." Candidates in the run-offs will have almost one month to make their cases for office.

Doesn’t it seem like there’s always an election of some sort these days? In one sense, it appears that things have changed and that elections are never-ending in our lives. One year, it’s the big presidential election and then two short years later, it’s the congressional elections, nicknamed the “midterm elections.” In between those contests, there are city-wide elections across the land, otherwise known as “off-year elections.” Add in all those run-off elections and it’s true, this “elections process” never ends.

The city of Atlanta has crowded field of great candidates who wish to be mayor. There’s no doubt that the Atlanta mayoral race will go into a run-off.

Since the Atlanta metro area has added many cities in the past decade, there are races in the young cities of Johns Creek and my home turf of Peachtree Corners. This year, there is an at-large council seat with three candidates and two other unchallenged council posts. Since there will be a run-off for the City Council Post 4 - an 'At-large' seat - that means all of Peachtree Corners needs to come out to City Hall on Tuesday, December 5 to vote. City Hall is at 147 Technology Parkway, Suite #200.​

The city of Clarkston has been in the local and national news with its positive outlook on welcoming refugees as well as talk on its drug laws. Their mayor is up for re-election. Another mayoral race is happening in the city of Chamblee.

I’m not adding the names of candidates in this space since I believe the reader should research those who are in these contests on her or his own. What I would say is that if you’re in a place where there is an election, please take the time to look up the candidates and promptly stop by the polling place to vote. What a privilege!

With Election Day in November, we get autumn-finally. While we had a few cooler spells in the past few weeks, these autumn warm-up days are not so welcoming. Hopefully in the next few weeks, we will get to seriously experience fall. In Georgia, we are now at a wonderful time to go up the northern part of the state and do some “leaf peeping.” The colors are just breathtaking. Sometimes doing the simple things in life can mean so much.