Affordable housing, responsive government, and resources for Hinesville’s youth were the hot topics at a community forum for mayoral and city council candidates Friday evening. All candidates turned out for the event on Azalea Street, where some traded compliments and others called out their opponents before about 100 citizens in lawnchairs. Afterwards, candidates and residents mingled, talking politics over shrimp, chitlins, and other down-home delicacies.
Whoever wins Hinesville’s mayoral race will replace longtime Mayor Allen Brown, a real estate broker and chair of the Liberty County Development Authority. Brown is not running for reelection. Over the past four decades, Brown has served in various capacities as city councilman, city manager, and mayor. The winner of this election will be the city’s second Black mayor, following James Thomas, Jr.’s historic 2007 win. Thomas served two terms until Brown was reelected in 2015.
Two of the city’s five council districts also will see new leadership. In District 4, Councilman Keith Jenkins is not running for reelection. District 5 Councilman Karl Riles is running for the mayor’s seat.
Liberty County Commission Chair Donald Lovette urged voters to “seize the moment.” Bishop Kevin L. Betton of the United Ministerial Alliance gave the invocation. Moderator Charolette Norman called up each district’s candidates as a group and posed two different questions to every candidate during their district’s 10-minute segment. She also called the two mayoral candidates up together for questioning.
Lena “Niecy” Pray, who organized the event, urged everyone to register and to vote: “Thank you so much for coming out to Azalea Streer, my street, where I live. Our community is everything. And we must register to vote, and we must go and vote.
“So what I want to say to you is that coming together is a good thing. Because we get to enjoy good company. But we must vote. So please take the time to vote. Our numbers need to go up. …we are here to stay and we love Hinesville.”
Here’s a look at the candidates with some answers to questions while on stage that give looks at their campaign pitches to the crowd.
The Candidates
Hinesville Mayor
Karl A. Riles
Karl A. Riles, 49, has served as District 5 councilman and owns a tax s a business owner who has lived in Liberty County his entire life. Riles, who qualified as a candidate on August 22, lives in the Belmore subdivision. He did not list a campaign committee. You can reach him at rilesforhinesville@gmail.com.
Karl Riles said Hinesville residents have more in common than they might realize: “I want to thank you guys for giving us the opportunity to get in front of the people and to talk for a little bit. It’s always funny when I was a district five councilman, I went last. So all the other councilpeople said everything that people wanted to hear, and I would just say ‘ditto.’ Now, you’ve heard a lot of great things today from a lot of great people. A lot of fantastic ideas. I think what you’ll find is we all want the same thing. On the council, 95% of our votes are unanimous. It works the same way in the city. We all want more services. We all want lower taxes. We all want more activities. We want better services. We want better schools and we want safer communities and we want our tax dollar or our income taxes—no, wrong taxes—our sales taxes to go up so our property taxes can go down. Everybody wants the same things. I think the question becomes, who do you want to represent?
“See, the mayor’s job is a little different than the council job. The mayor sits on several boards. The mayor is on the Downtown Development Authority, on the Hinesville Development Authority, on the Liberty County Development Authority. He’s on the Coastal Regional Commission [of Georgia]. He’s in Friends of Hinesville, Friends of Fort Stewart [and Hunter]. I mean, there’s so many things that the mayor has to do and I think it’s really important that the person that we choose to represent us everywhere is of us.
“Identity is what you think of yourself. Reputation is what other people think of you. We have to marry identity and reputation. We have to decide what it is we want to be and we have to make ourselves that thing. And then we have to make others see that thing. If you want to be the westernmost thing that calls itself Savannah, we can do that. That’s easy. But if you want Hinesville to be the center, and you want Long County and Glenville and you want McIntosh County and, you know, Midway and Riceboro, fine. Fine. Those were fine for my granddad. But if you want that, then we can do that as well, currently, downtown Hinesville, from the Coca-Cola building to Eddie Lee’s Gas Station… there are 11 empty buildings. That’s our retail. That’s the heart of our city. We need to make it easier for people to get into those businesses so that you don’t have to go to Pooler, or Savannah, or even Jesup. …We’ve done a fine job of raising our children and sending them out into the world. But we’ve neglected giving them something to come home to. …We are taking our most precious resource, and we’re sending it to make Richmond Hill better and Long County better and Atlanta better, and we’ve got, we’ve got to listen to our youth, and we got to figure out what it’s gonna take for them to come back here.
“I was at the county retreat, and we were talking about the same things. … So what we’ve got to do is we need to stop making decisions for that population without consulting that population about what they want. …You know, it’s fitting that we’re here on Azalea Street today. Some of y’all’s first time, but this is a fantastic neighborhood. We’re talking about homeownership for generations and generations and generations. We’re actually standing in a revitalization project that the city took on. Home ownership. …Where are all these people that grew up on this very street? They are somewhere else making that place better.
“…But we’ve got to make it possible that the next generation can come here, grow up here, thrive here, and give us another generation of people that are from here. One thing you know about me and you can ask that anywhere. This is my city. I love it. And I’ll do anything for it. Thank you.
Liston Singletary III
Liston Singletary III, 61, is a federal mediator. He’s lived in Liberty County for 26 years (council district 4, commission district 3) and qualified on August 25. The Committee to Elect Singletary for Mayor, which uses Singletary’s home address and phone, lists Dwight Newbould of Midway as Singletary’s campaign chair and Sybil Woolwine of Columbia, S.C., as treasurer. Singletary’s campaign site is singletaryformayor.com and his e-mail address is MrSing3@aol.com.
Liston Singletary III threw aside the moderator’s admonition not to preach: “I’m gonna allow God to use me to speak to you today. Now I came here some 26 years ago. And for those that took the time out to do the research, you know that I’ve worked among you and laid it among you for the entire time that I’ve been here. I love this city. I feel that, with my 24 years of military experience, my time in corporate America, my time working not only in this city but in other surrounding counties, the state, on the national level and international level, bodes me well to be suitable for the position of mayor.
“Why is that? Because your mayor’s the voice of the city. Your mayor is a negotiator. We talked about having programs for the youth. Yes, we can have those programs. One of the priorities that I would have, as the spokesperson for this community, I would reach out to those potential stakeholders and industries to come here to our community and invest in our community. I heard something being said about bowling alleys and skating rinks. ‘No, government cannot.’ Well, it can. Well, it can. With a referendum. But why do that when you have people amongst you? How did I find out? By knocking on doors.
“So what can you expect from me as mayor? I’m going to be proactive. Don’t look for me to be behind a desk. My work is in the community. And that’s where I will be. Homelessness, we cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer. We’re going to have to address it. We can look at some models that some of the other surrounding cities have in place. And we can try to adopt some of the strategies.
“We have to deal with subsidized and low income housing. The City of Savannah didn’t break the mold. Nor did Pooler. It’s okay to reach out, have a theory. And I have an approach: Think global, act local. In other words, see what’s working in the other cities. You downsize it so that it can fit the needs of your community. …I believe in being proactive, not reactive. There are people lined up right now, waiting for an opportunity to come to our fair city.
“Prior to me coming out here this evening, I was talking to an individual who’s a therapist. And why is that important? Because our youth population, to include our adult population, are dealing with some trauma. That’s the topic we don’t talk about in our community, and particularly in the Black community. Trauma has affected us, that many in our generation will pass down. But unless we address that deficiency, we will continue to go along that paradigm. Yes, I’m a man of faith. But yes, we still need some other interventions.”
City Council
District 1
Marcello Page
Marcello Page, 27, is a student who’s lived in Liberty County for eight years, seven of those in District 1. He qualified on August 23. The Friends of Marcello Page lists Page as chair and treasurer, and is registered at Page’s home address (council district 1, commission district 5). E-mail Page at MarcelloPage2007@gmail.com. His campaign site is www.marcellopage.com and he has a Ballotpedia page.
A political newcomer, Page told the crowd he decided to run because “when I first moved here to Hinesville, I found it very difficult to find to find who my representative was. And finally, when I did find a representative, and I spoke to them about the issues that matter to me, and they didn’t take it very serious. I felt like they threw it right in the garbage. So it got me thinking, how many other people are having the same issue? So I want to be able to help government be accountable, and also want to be able to bring it back to the people.
“Because you’ve got to remember, as an elected official, you are representing the people and not yourself. And I want you guys to remember that I’m not running for myself, I’m running, to be able to serve and represent you and make sure you’re you’re respected and you’re heard.” Page also said the city needs to attract developers to build more affordable housing. He added that Hinesville should have “a 24/7 facility for our homeless to stay at…and have a secure locker so they can be able to put their belongings in there and have an option to put an address on their application so they can boost their chances of thriving in his community and become a productive member of this community.”
Diana F. Reid (I)
Councilwoman Diana F. Reed, 65, also is the administrative assistant to the Liberty County Development Authority. She’s lived in Liberty County for 60 years and has lived in District 1 for seven years. She qualified on August 25 but did not list a campaign committee. Reid’s e-mail is dianareid1@yahoo.com.
Incumbent District 1 Councilwoman Diana Reid took offense at the implication that she had not been responsive to citizens: “Okay, I’ve been on city council since 2015. During my tenure, there have been many issues. This is not a one-size-fit-all community. Everybody has different issues. I’m flexible as far as housing, homelessness, redevelopment, food vouchers, utilities, you name it. That’s why I firmly stand as a part of Seven Ministries. And I’ve also served with United Way. I love community outreach. This is what I’m all about. I’m not a politician. But I have been a public servant. And I plan on continuing. Anybody know, I’m one of the easiest people there is to find. …
“Anybody say that I’m not listening, that’s not true. Because I listen to the voices. I even appointed Mr. Marcello Page to one of the committees for the City of Hinesville. As for the homelessness issue, Reid said, “we’re not just talking about it. We’re walking about it.”
She called out to City Manager Kenneth Howard: “Mr. Howard, where are you? We currently have a project in place, with the Hinesville Housing Authority, to build how many houses, Mr. Howard? 80 houses. Affordable housing. So this is why I must go back in, because I have a voice for each and every one. …Whatever it is they need, they call me. I am a public servant, not a politician.”
Alan White
Alan White, 50, owns Negril Caribbean Restaurant. He’s also an Army veteran and a hospice chaplain. White has lived in Liberty County for seven years, four of those in District 1. His Instagram campaign account is fresh.eyeshinesville and you can e-mail him at Fresh.eyeshinesville@gmail.com.
Alan White said he wants “to be the eyes and the ears of the people of District 1.” While knocking doors, he said, “I realized that they have issues, and I will be their voice and take it to the city and then bring back information to them. I realize dealing with [a] government agency, it may take time, you know. What I’ll be, I’ll be a leader of presence. So if it takes more than a week, two week, a month, what I’ll do, I’ll do follow up. So I will not keep the people in the loop. What I’ll do, I’ll go back to them with results or the process that is going through.”
He said his top priority is to make it easier for small businesses to open their doors, recalling his own struggle as an active-duty soldier trying to open a restaurant: “But it took me so long to open that restaurant—loopholes here, loopholes there. And it shouldn’t take that long to open a small business. Many of us here have ideas in their head. And we want to take it to the front page. My job is to make that dream a reality.”
District 2
Robert E. Cunningham
Robert E. Cunningham, 71, has lived in District 2 for 27 years. He is retired. You can e-mail him at Cunningham5158@comcast.net.
Robert Cunningham said one of the problems District 2 faces challenges. “They need some leadership and they need some help and problem-solving. In the housing area, ditches, specifically, especially in my neighborhood, they need to be policed up, cleaned up. Also, I think they need a voice. They need somebody strong enough, tough enough, and not scared enough to fight for them. To get into somebody’s face and say, ‘Hey, we got to fix this. This is broken. We need to fix it.’ ”
Cunningham, who said he’s been in Hinesville since 1995, sees a need for more recreational facilities over the next 10 years: “The sky is the limit. Bowling alley, Putt Putt golf course, right? Amusement area, more parks, right? I want to be somebody in there helping the people and their loved ones, the couples, married, couples, military, and civilian. I want to help them with these facilities. I also want to help the city workers. I want to be instrumental in getting them a decent pay raise. I want to help all the children to have more fun and come outdoors, have a facility for them to play in and be safer.”
Jason Floyd (I)
District 2 Councilman Jason Floyd, 49, is a banker who has lived in District 2 his whole life. His e-mail is jfloyd74@hotmail.com.
Incumbent District 2 Councilman James Floyd, a Hinesville native, said the city has to be careful about development and that council members need to work together to get things done: “I’ve been here 49 years. I love Hinesville, live a stone’s throw [from] where I grew up, so I know my community, I know my district. One of the proudest things I’m about that we’ve accomplished is smart growth. There’s been a lot of, there’s been a lot of growth that’s happened over, over the years, over the years that I’ve been there. And if you don’t do it thoughtfully, it can get away from you. And the council has done a very good job being thoughtful in how that growth happens. And there are a lot of amenities that people want in Hinesville that aren’t here yet. But there are a lot of amenities that are here now that weren’t here10 years ago. So it takes time, and it takes the ability to work with others. Because as a council member, you’re one vote. So if you can’t work with the people sitting next to you, and build collaboration towards an effort, you won’t get anything accomplished.”
He also had some advice for people who want to hold elected office: “Get involved. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved before being elected. You can get involved with United Way, you can get involved with the Chamber of Commerce, you can get involved with the many volunteer organizations within the community that work closely with government. And it gives you a good idea of how things work. Because a lot of times, it’s easy to make some big promises when you don’t understand the process. And once you get in the office, and you see the process, you see the challenges. So I think as a young person, if you can know those challenges going in it’s make you that more effective a leader.”
District 3
Vicky (Haynes) Nelson (I)
Councilwoman Vicky Nelson, 64, is a compliance officer who has lived in District 3 for 30 years. Her e-mail is haynes_1958@yahoo.com.
Vicky Nelson explained what she has done for the citizens: “Well, I’m only one phone call away. If you call me, I will assist in any—or I will get the answer. There are procedures that we have to follow. I follow those procedures. The council is your representative. But the [city] employees work for the city manager. So there is a procedure that we have to follow…” Nelson pointed to the city’s balanced budget, business growth, and partnership with the Housing Authority to build 87 new affordable homes: “For the eight years I have been on the council we have had a balanced budget. We have not raised the millage rate. In fact, we’ve lowered it a couple of times. We’re good stewards of the money. The other thing is, in 2016, when I was first elected, there were 964 businesses in the city of Hinesville. Currently we have 15,027 businesses in the city of Hinesville. And not only that, we have streamlined the home occupation certification, which makes it easier for people that want small businesses and to be based out of their home, we made that process we streamlined that, so it’s easier for citizens to get their, have their own businesses. The city… is partnering with the Housing Authority to build seven houses that will afford low and moderate income families to become homeowners. Also we’re partnering with the Housing Authority 80 units that will allow low and moderate income families to have a place to stay. You know, combating homelessness is hard. But we’re diligent.”
Arthur Nixon
Arthur Nixon, 63, is a readjustment counselor. He has lived in Liberty County for 63 years and in District 3 for 24 years. You can e-mail him at artdestiny77@gmail.com.
Arthur Nixon acknowledged Azalea Street as the heart of District 3 and cited his military background as proof of his leadership abilities: “This is the moment, this is the time. This is the time, in this history, in this city of Hinesville, that we need to move this thing forward. So I do have an agenda. It is real simple. My agenda is to educate, because we know knowledge is strictly power. The second thing that I’m gonna do is advocate. You have to be a great advocater for those that live in your district. And that’s what I’m going to do, advocate, because my background is a social worker.
And the third thing is lead. I have 23 years of military experience. I am a retired first sergeant. So I know about leading, I know about motivating, and I know about how to get the job done. If you live in the Third District, it is time to move forward.”
Nixon also said his religious background would be an asset to city government: “If you live in the Third District, hear my voice, and I ask you hear me clear. I am a faith leader. … So I want to take the same servant mentality into the city council, and I want to change the dynamic, I want to shift the atmosphere, so we can be positive in everything that we do. And that’s what I’m about.”
District 4
Mike Alamo
Mike Alamo, 62, is an Army veteran and has served as a lieutenant in the Hinesville Fire Department. His e-mail is mikeal1835amo@gmail.com.
Asked for his thoughts on the city’s current millage rate, former city firefighter Mike Alamo said, “I’ll reference to what Miss [Councilwoman Vicky] Nelson said about the city millage rate being lowered. The city has dropped the millage rate. But if you guys really pay attention to it, the county will raise theirs, the city will drop ’em. So it’s really a net. … It’s high. …… But we need to remember that every time that we spend tax money that we don’t have, we have to generate it somewhere. … And it’s the millage rate that allows us to get funded. …The city has been a good steward of the money. Because we have been balanced, when I used to work for the city on the Fire Department, you know, we received benefits, we received pay raises, we received equipment, you know, and all this stuff with SPLOST and all the money that we vote on. But the millage rate is what sets your tax. So just keep in mind, you know, we’re not the only taxing agency in the city of Hinesville. We’ve got the Board of Education, Development Authority, Hospital Authority. And so there are other agencies that have the ability to tax you.” Alamo agreed the city needs more recreational facilities: “somebody mentioned up here, skating rinks, or bowling alleys, and all these kinds of things….it takes money to do a business. Now if somebody feels like a bowling alley would make money, do you not think somebody would come in and and build a bowling alley? You can’t expect the government or the taxpayers to fund those kind of entities. Now, it can always be put on a referendum if somebody wants a swimming pool or a facility or something like that, and the taxpayers are willing to pay for it, put it out there. Put it on a referendum. Let ’em vote for it. If they want to pay for it, step up and pay for it.”
Dexter Newby
Dexter Newby, 50, is a veteran and a substance abuse counselor. He has lived in Liberty County for 22 years, 20 of those in Hinesville. You can e-mail him at newby4district4@gmail.com.
Dexter Newby, who works as a substance abuse counselor, told the crowd, “I don’t want to be part of a problem, I want to be part of the solution. …In and out, working in the community, working with the local government, that’s being part of a solution. And that’s where I want to be. That’s what I’ve always been. Regardless of the situation, regardless of what job I’ve been in, regardless of what part of what organization I’ve been a part of, I’ve always been part of a solution. …I’m not about easy. I’m about work.”
Newby detailed his experience in the community: “Well, I’ve been with different organizations. I know there’s been talk about homelessness. I sat on the board for the Homeless Coalition. Unfortunately, they dissolved a couple of years ago. Part of the Homeless Coalition, part of the YMCA board currently. But I think the biggest thing is my actual job. I’m a substance abuse counselor. I work for Recovery Place and we facilitate the drug court, veteran’s treatment court, DUI court, family treatment court, and IOP, which is intensive outpatient, basically, whoever wants to come in to get treated. And even though I get paid, and but those of you who are familiar, know that you really don’t get paid, you get something, but it’s not about that. It’s about the work. It’s about watching people grow. It’s about being that helping hand. It’s about seeing the smiles on the faces when they come in and they tell you, ‘Hey, Mr. Dexter, guess what? I reconnected with my children. I reconnected with my family, I got my first vehicle. I was able to get my house.’ That’s what is important. I’ve had jobs where I’ve made money. That doesn’t mean anything. Because if your heart’s not in it, and if you don’t follow the footsteps that your Higher Power has laid before you, you’ll never be happy. So what I had to do was I had to be quiet, I had to listen, I had to learn, and I am in the direction that God is putting me.”
Joel Nicholson, Jr.
Joel Nicholson, 23, works in media production and has been living in District 4 for three years. His e-mail is jnich4322112@gmail.com.
Joel Nicholson said he wants to “press the issue of accessibility. So I want to be accessible to the community and District 4. And one thing, one thing I learned, I was always told was, if you can fight in a war for your country, there is no problem with you serving your community. So it’s no problem once you start where you went. That’s something I want to push for anybody who is new to the community.
“Quick question, who’s familiar with the work triangle? I mean, if you want something done good and fast, and cheap, you have to pick two but you have to leave the other one out. So if you want something good and fast, it won’t be cheap, if you want something fast and cheap, it probably won’t be good. So I committed to my own triangle, and it’s ‘people, passion, and purpose.’ If you have passion for the people, you fulfill your purpose. And that’s something I want to tell the people out there.”
“I feel the city needs new leaders and a new vision. So I want to do things for the youth and get the youth more engaged. So community policing, infrastructure, and the youth engagement, that’s motivating me right now. Can’t get my mind off getting the youth more involved. So I just want to get the youth more involved with the community, that’s it.”
District 5
Henry L. Covington
Henry Covington, 52, retired from the U.S. Army and has served four years’ active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. Covington is a member of Phi Beta Sigma and Kappa Lambda Chi fraternities. You can visit his campaign’s Facebook page and e-mail him at Hcovington447@gmail.com.
Henry Covington addressed homelessness and youth crime in the growing city: “So homelessness is going to be an issue within the next five years. It’s not a city in the nation that’s not going to be affected by this, right? So I think what we need to do is get with the cities that are having this issue, find out what’s working, what’s not working, come back to the table, take the policies that are already in place in Hinesville, and see if they are relevant to today’s action, alright? So we have to have a proactive mindset versus reactive. So we know what is going to happen somewhere down the line in the future. So we have to take time with that right now. So, as far as youth crime, there’s not a lot of activity in Hinesville for our youth, right? So we have to engage our council and then they will know that we need to bring in things like maybe a bowling center, a skating rink. You know, there was talk about bringing in a gaming center, but that’s for adults, right? I mean, I don’t mind the devil’s workshop. We have to give our kids something to do and to look forward to.”
Asked why he wants to serve on the council Covington explained the elected body’s job is to “consult, deliberate, and then they make the best decisions possible for the city. They set the vision for the city. And they do this by principles, guiding principles that will allow them to adopt goals to make those decisions, right? But they also oversee the city manager, they hire, appoint, all those things. So the city council answers to you guys, the people, right? That’s who we’re accountable to.”
Eric L. Hollis
Eric Hollis, 52, is a pastor and business owner who has lived in District 5 for six years. He is a retired U.S. Army warrant officer and serves as president of the NAACP Liberty County Branch. The Committee to Elect Eric Hollis lists Lisa Thomas of Riceboro as its chairperson and Valarie Denice Camak-Isaac of Hinesville as its treasurer. Hollis’ campaign website is ehollisdistrict5.com and his e-mail is HollisDistrict5@outlook.com.
Hollis said he would bridge the community’s social divides. “One of the things that we need to do collectively, is come together as one body, liberty and justice for all, and help bridge that gap between the social distancing. So how do we do that? I’m glad y’all asked. We do that by implementing more programs for our youth. And for that middle age, and also our senior citizens. That’s what we need to do. That’s how you bridge that gap between the social distance.”
Hollis addressed the perceptions that the city manager held too much power. “I’m not qualified to answer that question. For one more reason. I am not a city council member yet. So my proclivity is to get in, learn city government, continue to get mentored by some of these model genes that I have been mentored by, learn, go to the classes that we’re required you to go to, and then I will be able to answer that question with precision. In closing, before our Father, Jesus Christ, went to the cross, he exemplified servitude in the most auspicious way. He washed the disciples’ feet. Citizens in District 5, allow me on November the seventh, to wash your feet.”
José Antonio Ortiz
José Antonio Ortiz, 54, is an electronic technician, a veteran of Desert Storm, and a National League soccer coach. If elected, he would be Hinesville’s first Hispanic councilmember. Ortiz’ campaign website is ortizforhinesville5.com. His e-mail is jortizforhinesville@gmail.com.
José Antonio Ortiz told the crowd that, although he has no political experience, he’ll work with others to solve residents’ problems: “I want to give thanks to the city of Hinesville for giving me this opportunity. And this country for allowing me to be up here, standing with you as a Hispanic. I’m not a politician. But I know politics. I know right from wrong. I know good and bad. I just want to have a conversation. I would surround myself with the smartest experts at City Hall to make good decisions on policies, approve good orders and resolutions and other legislation, of course, balance the budget, which I heard that was done this year. Congratulations. Let’s vote on it. Let me be a voice for you, to the city. You got a problem, let me take it to them, get a resolution for you.”
Asked why he was running for council, Ortiz said, “I love this place. This is my home. My dad’s here. My brother’s over at Baldino’s. 25 years. My sister is right down the street. My mother’s buried here. I’ve raised my two boys here. What I hear is, ‘My kids leave and don’t come back.’ I don’t want my kids to leave and not come back. There’s nothing to do. There’s no jobs here. Let’s quit bringing in minimum wage jobs and bringing jobs here that can raise a family. We’re going to run out of land in Hinesville by putting gas stations on every corner, car washes in every corner. We’re going to run out of land. And all that stuff is going to go to Liberty County. We’ll still benefit from it, but not as much as we would if we had it right here in Hinesville.”
When and where to vote
Last day to register to vote: October 10 is the last day you can register to vote. Check your voter registration status online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page, mvp.sos.ga.gov.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hinesville voters can cast ballots on Election Day at the Charles M. Shuman Recreation Center, 800-C Tupelo Road.
Early voting: If you don’t want to wait until Election Day, registered voters throughout Liberty County can vote early in person at one of two locations:
- Liberty County Voter Registration and Election Office, 100 Main Street, Suite 1600, Hinesville
- Liberty County Community Complex, 9397 E. Oglethorpe Hwy., Midway
Here’s the schedule for early voting:
- Monday, Oct. 16 through Friday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 23 through Friday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you have questions about voter registration or voting in general, call the Liberty County Office of Elections at (912) 876-3310.