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“This is a crucial election for Walker County, and I think it’s absolutely crucial that people get out and vote,” said Republican challenger Jay Neal of LaFayette. “I know people are frustrated by the fact that they have to vote again, and I understand that frustration.”
“I encourage voters to overcome their frustration and go out to vote one more time for the future of Walker County,” he said. “I believe that I have the consistent, conservative values that will serve this county well and look forward to serving the people of District 1.”
“A legislative seat is different than any other kind of elected office,” said incumbent state Rep. Mike Snow, D-Chickamauga. “It’s on-the-job training, and it takes years of on-the-job training to become an effective leader.”
“We need to maintain experience in the Georgia General Assembly, Snow said. “We’re in a crisis situation in the country and in the state, and I’m public safety chairman. A lot of people obviously think it’s time for a change, but when you get a change, you get somebody who will take years to develop contacts. They may make friends easily, but, in order to garner support and get things done for the district, you have to have experience.”
Quick, comprehensive coverage: Polls for Tuesday’s election between state Rep. Mike Snow, D-Chickamauga, and Republican challenger Jay Neal will close at 7 p.m. For the best coverage, visit this website after the polls close. Results and more coverage will be published in the Friday, July 25, edition of the Walker County Messenger.
Only voters who were eligible to cast ballots in the Nov. 5 general election are eligible to vote in the district-wide third election between Neal and Snow, Walker Board of Elections and Registration Chief Clerk Barbara Berry said.
“People must have registered by Oct. 7,” Berry said. Eligible voters should report to the precinct listed on their new voter registration cards, which were mailed last month.
Berry said she has worked closely with the state reapportionment office, which draws the precinct lines, and her staff has walked the Rossville streets that divide Districts 1 and 2. She said she is confident her office is prepared to take on the election.
The July 22 election will mark the second time since the Nov. 5 general election that Snow and Neal have squared off against each other. Judges have twice rejected their election results due to inappropriately cast ballots in the split Rossville precinct.
Neal won the Nov. 5 general election by 197 votes. Snow contested those election results in Walker Superior Court, and an appointed Superior Court judge ruled enough questionable ballots were cast to invalidate the final results.
Snow bested Neal during the January reelection by a mere 73 votes. Art Thompson, a former Walker County Republican Party chairman, contested those election results. A second judge ruled for a third hearing on the same grounds, resulting in Tuesday’s third running of the race.
Voters who are unsure in which district they reside should contact the Walker County elections office at (706) 638-4349.
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