Jackson County to conduct elections for Town of Braselton

Jackson County will conduct the upcoming elections for the Town of Braselton at a cost of $1 per registered voter. The town council at its Monday meeting unanimously approved the change by entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the county, which will save the town both time and money.

Town manager Jennifer Dees said Braselton has 4,968 registered voters as of its latest count.

In contrast, in 2011, when Braselton held its own election, the town had 4,136 registered voters. Only 260 people voted and it cost the town $5,235 due to the cost of paper ballots. The county would run the elections with electronic machines and would be run by professional election people, said Dees. The cost also covers every election the city needs in a year despite the number or any run-offs.

In addition to the lower cost, Jackson County has a satellite voting precinct in Braselton where any registered voter could vote in advance a week before elections. Before the week of advanced voting, voters can choose to go to the Jackson County Administration Building in Jefferson and vote on a machine or obtain an absentee ballot through the mail.
The City of Hoschton’s special election advanced voting will be also held in Braselton.

In addition to Braselton, Hoschton, Arcade and Talmo have all voted to allow the county to conduct its elections.