MOULTRIE, Ga. — Early voting starts Monday in Moultrie, Berlin and Colquitt County in preparation for elections set for Nov. 7. Doerun will also hold early voting in its municipal election, but it won’t start until Oct. 23.

Each municipality has one office up for election. In Berlin and Doerun, it’s the mayor’s seat. In Moultrie it’s one city council post.

Across the county, voters will decide whether to enact an additional 1 percent sales tax to fund transportation projects.

It’s important to note that the municipal and county elections are separate. Votes will be cast on separate ballots and possibly even at different polling places.

Colquitt County TSPLOST

Voters are being asked to approve a 1-cent-per-dollar tax to fund transportation initiatives. This would raise the county’s sales tax rate to 8 percent from the current 7.

The $25.5 million that the tax is expected to raise will be divided among the county government, the government of each municipality, and the authorities for recreation, the Moultrie Municipal Airport and Colquitt Regional Medical Center. The county would receive about three-fifths of the total with the rest divided unevenly among the other recipients.

On Nov. 7, the county’s usual 18 polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters will go to the location they’ve been assigned based on their residence.

Before that, though, there will be three weeks of early voting that begin Monday, Oct. 16, and end Friday, Nov. 3. Early voting will take place 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Office of the Registrar, Room 133 of the Courthouse Annex.

Moultrie council

Voters in Moultrie’s District 1 — which includes all of Northwest Moultrie and part of Southwest Moultrie —  will choose between incumbent Susie Magwood-Thomas and the Rev. Cornelius Ponder III for the Post 2 city council seat. Two other council members are unopposed for re-election.

The city voting will take place at 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 7 at Shaw Gym, which is also a county polling place, but the county sales tax referendum will be conducted separately there.

Early voting will take place 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the city council chambers at the Moultrie Municipal Building.

Berlin mayor

In Berlin, voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Mark Bridwell and a challenger, Reggie Merritt.

Voting will take place Nov. 7 at Berlin City Hall.

Early voting will be at city hall too. It will take place Monday, Oct. 16, through Thursday, Oct. 2, during normal business hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday and Thursday.  City hall is closed on Fridays.

Doerun mayor

Doerun’s mayor’s seat has been vacant since the death of George Saunders. Running are Michael Campbell and Larry Brady.

Voting will take place Nov. 7 in the Doerun City Council chambers.

Doerun’s early voting period is much shorter than the other municipalities. Voting will be 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 23-27 at Doerun City Hall.