The first week of November will mark a new election term for the cities of Buford, Suwanee and Sugar Hill. While gearing up for the local elections please keep a few things in mind before heading to the ballot.
You must be a legal resident of Georgia and at least 17.5 years of age to register (18 to vote). You must not be serving a felony conviction or found mentally incompetent by a judge.
Voter registration may be found at your local city hall, public library or the Gwinnett County Election Office (455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, Lawrenceville). The voter registration form can also be found at http://sos.ga.gov and voter registration status can be viewed at https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Registration for candidate applications closed August 21 and the official list for the 2019 General Election is live. The voting period will be held from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on November 5, 2019.
The City of Buford
Buford residents who are registered to vote will cast their ballots at Buford City Hall located at 2300 Buford Highway for the Buford General Municipal Election. The municipal voters will elect three seats: the City Commissioner – Post 1, and two School Board Member seats.
- City Commissioner – Post 1: City Commission Chairman, Philip Beard, runs unopposed and has held public office in Buford since 1975. As of November 2019, he plans to complete 44 years with Buford and holds the title for the longest elected official in Georgia.
- Buford Board of Education Seat #1: Incumbent Daren Perkins is seeking re-election and has an opponent, Melissa Ferris Ozkan.
- Buford Board of Education Seat #2: In a statement released to the North Gwinnett Voice, Beth Lancaster has stated that she will not seek re-election. She cited an increased workload in her professional career as the reason for not running again. (Her full statement can be seen at NorthGwinnettVoice.com.) In the running to fill the seat that Lancaster will vacate are candidates Matt Peevy, David Jerome Carter, and Honglien T. Diaz.
The City of Sugar Hill
Sugar Hill voters for the Sugar Hill General Municipal Election will cast their ballots at the Sugar Hill Community Center located at 1166 Church St. on Election Day. Early voting for the Sugar Hill elections begins October 14 at Sugar Hill City Hall located at 5039 W. Broad St. The municipal voters will elect three seats of the City Council: City Council – Post 1, City Council – Post 2, and City Council – Post 3.
- City Council – Post 1: Incumbent Brandon Hembree is seeking re-election and has an opponent, Marjorie Prophete.
- City Council – Post 2: Incumbent Marc Cohen is seeking re-election and has an opponent, Amber Chambers.
- City Council – Post 3: Incumbent Susie Gajewski-Walker is running unopposed.
The City of Suwanee
Voters for the Suwanee General Municipal Election will cast their votes at Suwanee City Hall located at 330 Towne Center Ave. on November 5. The municipal voters will elect three seats of the City Council: Mayor, Post 1, and Post 2.
- Mayor: Incumbent Jimmy Burnette runs unopposed and is expected to serve the city for the following term. He has been serving as the city’s mayor for the past eight years.
- Post 1: Incumbent Doug Ireland is seeking re-election and has an opponent, Heather J. Hall.
- Post 2: Incumbent Dick Goodman is seeking re-election and has an opponent, Laurence “Larry” Pettiford.
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— By Nida Merchant
