Category Archives: Elections

Videos: Candidate Forum, AAUW 2017-09-21

Valdosta State University gave the American Association of University Women Powell Hall for this candidate forum last Thursday, September 21, 2017. Why they held it in a dark room with bad acoustics, I don’t know, but at least you can see the candidates and other speakers.

Here are links to each LAKE video, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Yes, you may use one of these videos or clips in your political ad, provided you cite the source: Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE). See also the announcement in the VDT.

Video.

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Voted, along with many others on last day of early voting 2016-11-04

I voted early at the Lowndes County Board of Elections. Tuesday November 8th precincts will be open for Election Day 2016.

Lots of voters

The County Commission staff didn’t manage to get its referendum in on time about Continue reading

Videos: Meet the Candidates –VLCoC 2016-09-27

Here are LAKE videos of the candidates running in the November general election at “Meet the Candidates” by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce September 27th 2016. It seemed less attended than usual, but that may have been due to the larger venue of Mathis Auditorium dwarfing the audience. Each got a few minutes to say something, and nobody took questions. There were tables with information before they spoke.

James Neil Harris said he was curious about the Sabal Trail pipeline, Teresa K. Moffit said she was against it, Clay Griner voted to sell Sabal Trail an easement through the closed Lowndes County landfill, and Dexter Sharper voted in the Georgia House against river-drilling easements for Sabal Trail.

Below are links to the LAKE video of each candidate speaking, followed by a video playlist. See also Continue reading

VSU Democrats Candidate Forum 2016-09-12

All candidates were invited; most of the Democratic ones came and spoke; most of the Republicans did not.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each candidate, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading

Meet the Candidates –VLCoC 2016-09-27

“Come meet and hear from the candidates running in the November general election,” says the Chamber, and this is usually the best-attended candidate forum. This is not a debate. Each candidate gets a few minutes to say something, and nobody takes questions. However, they also have tables with information and you can usually catch them before or after.

When: 5-7PM Tuesday September 27th 2016

Where: Mathis City Auditorium
2300 North Ashley Street
Valdosta, GA 31602

Organized by: Continue reading

Voting machine irregularities in Lowndes County?

After seeing reports of Democrats being required to vote provisionally in three different polling places (Clyattville, Hahira, and Trinity Baptist Church), I called Lowndes County Elections Supervisor Deb Cox at 229-671-2850.

She said the problem was in creating the cards for voting, not in the actual voting machines. A separate machine called an Express Poll creates the cards. She said it was in the program on the Express Poll machines, which was uploaded improperly. The result was that some people couldn’t get cards. Meanwhile, people could still vote using provisional ballots. She says it’s been fixed, and nobody has reported any problems since early this morning. This is the same thing she told Valdosta Today.

When I told her people had also been reporting that they got a card and found that they were marked as Republican when they asked for a Democratic ballot. Deb Cox said nobody has reported that to her. She asks for anybody who sees that or any other voting problems to please call her office, 229-671-2850.

If you have any difficulties, ask for a provisional ballot and call that number. Continue reading

Why people don’t speak up: they owe their soul to the company store

Some of our elected officials wonder few people ever speak up around here. It’s simple: they owe their soul to the company store. If you don’t go along, you don’t get business.

As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang in that old Merle Travis song:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store

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LAKE meeting Tuesday after County Commission 2016-02-09

County government and local issues: change orders, sole-source contracts, suing local companies, meetings with little notice, going back on their own resolutions, can’t see what they are voting on, and what are their ordinances? If you want to help, we have a little list of tasks you can do. And two County Commission seats and the Chair are up for election this year, plus county school board, sheriff, and a bunch of other offices.

What: LAKE Meeting

When: 6:15PM Tuesday 9 February 2016
after the Lowndes County Commission meeting

Where: Michael’s Deli
1307 N Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA 31601

If you’re on Facebook, please Like the LAKE facebook page. You can sign up for the meeting event there, Or just come as you are.

-jsq

Valdosta election results and oaths @ VCC 2016-01-07

Tonight, election results, a homeland security thermal imaging grant, and bench placement on streets. And a church food bank, already heard by the Planning Commission 30 November 2015.

Here’s the agenda.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, January 7, 2016
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

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Videos: APA Candidate Forum 2015-10-06

The VSU Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, 100 Black Men of Valdosta, and the Valdosta-Lowndes Metro Section of the National Council of Negro Women held a candidate forum at Mathis City Auditorum on October 6th 2015: here are LAKE videos. The the Valdosta Daily Times provided some background:

“Each candidate will be given three minutes to describe themselves, their platform and why they’re seeking their position,” [Valdosta City Council member Alvin] Payton said. “We will then allow two minutes for each candidate to answer a minimum of two questions from the floor. Some questions can be answered quicker than others. After those two minutes, each candidate will be given two minutes to wrap up their position.”

The forum will only involve candidates running for Valdosta City Council and the position of Valdosta mayor.

Below are links to the LAKE video each candidate forum section, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading