Early voting starts Monday for Muscogee County sheriff’s runoff

Monday is the first day of early voting for the Dec. 6 Muscogee County Sheriff’s runoff between incumbent John Darr and Donna Tompkins.

Voters can cast ballots FROM 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday in the community room of the Citizens Service Center, 3111 Citizens Way, off Macon Road by the Columbus Public Library.

The service center’s public access off Rigdon Road at Midtown Drive is more convenient because visitors must enter through the rear of the building by the parking garage, as the front doors remain locked for security.

Each voter must show a government-issued photo ID to prove identity and residence.

Anyone registered to vote by the Oct. 11 deadline for the General Election is eligible to vote in the runoff. They do not have to have voted in the Nov. 8 election.

Residents with online access can check their voter registration status at Georgia’s “My Voter Page.” Others may call the elections office at 706-653-4392.

Elections workers are sending absentee ballots to elderly and disabled voters who previously asked for them. No additional request is needed.

All county voting polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Unofficial results on Nov. 8 left Tompkins with 21,429 votes to Darr’s 14,464, or 46 to 31 percent. With Republican Mark LaJoye taking 20 percent and write-in candidate Pam Brown drawing 4 percent, neither of the top two contenders was able to get the majority needed to win outright.

First elected as a Democrat in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, Darr qualified to run as an independent candidate this year.

Tompkins is a former captain who retired from the sheriff’s office.

This story was originally published November 27, 2016 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Early voting starts Monday for Muscogee County sheriff’s runoff."