MARIETTA - Advanced voting for the Nov. 6 municipal elections in Cobb County starts Monday.

Unlike absentee voting, no reason is required for voters to vote the week before elections. Advanced voting starts tomorrow and ends Friday.

The Cobb County Board of Elections is coordinating the election and advanced voting for Kennesaw, Powder Springs and Smyrna.

Registered voters in those three cities can visit the Cobb Elections main office, 736 Whitlock Ave., Monday through Friday of this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Voters in Kennesaw can vote in advance at the Kennesaw Community Center at 2753 Watts Drive. Residents in Powder Springs can vote in the council chambers at the old Powder Springs City Hall, at 4488 Pineview Drive. Citizens of Smyrna can vote at the Smyrna Community Centerat 200 Village Green Circle.

Sharon Dunn, director of the Cobb Board of Elections, said voters should remeber that a photo ID will be required to vote.

Acceptable ID's are: a Georgia driver's license; any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free voter ID card issued by the voter's county registrar or the Department of Driver Services; a valid U.S. passport; a valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency or entity of the U.S. or state government; a valid U.S. military photo ID; or a valid tribal photo ID.

Ms. Dunn said any voters who have questions regarding acceptable IDs can call the Secretary of State's toll free number 1-877-725-9797 or the Board of Elections office at 770-528-2312.

As of Friday, Ms. Dunn said her office has issued 15 absentee ballots for Kennesaw, 13 for Powder Springs and 46 for Smyrna. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on Election Day.

Sample ballots and election information can be found at the Cobb Election's Web site at www.cobbelections.org.

The city clerks are conducting the municipal elections in Acworth and Austell.

Acworth City Clerk Regina Russell said qualified Acworth voters can go to the clerk's office in City Hall at 4415 Senator Russell Ave., for early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week.

Austell City Clerk Carolyn Duncan said advance voting can be done in her office at City Hall, located at 2716 Broad St., from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Friday, Ms. Russell said she had received 31 absentee ballots for Acworth and Ms. Duncan said she had received one.

Of the 21 municipal races in cities across Cobb, 12 are contested and nine have candidates running unopposed.

Acworth has multiple candidates in two of the city's three Board of Alderman seats up for election. In Post 1, incumbent Albert "Butch" Price is running unopposed. Candidates Heather Hibben, Brett North and Gene Pugliese are vying for the Post 2 seat while incumbent Doug Allen is not seeking re-election. Incumbent Bob Weatherford faces opposition from Keith McPherson for his Post 3 seat. Acworth Aldermen are elected at-large.

In Austell, longtime Mayor Joe Jerkins is running unopposed. Post 2 Councilwoman Kirsten Anderson and Post 4 Councilwoman Virginia Reagan are also seeking reelection unopposed. In the city's Post 2 at-large seat, incumbent Randy Green faces Steven Defnall.

Kennesaw Mayor Leonard Church will face Post 2 Councilman Mark Mathews for the mayor position. To fill Mathew's council seat, Tim Killingsworth and Michael Serkedakis qualified. Councilman and Mayor Pro-tem John Dowdy faces April Saine for Post 1. Kennesaw councilmen are elected at-large.

Also facing opposition for the mayoral post, Powder Springs resident Paul Moore is challenging Mayor Pat Vaughn. Since incumbent Councilwoman At-Large Nancy Arnold is not seeking re-election, Rosalyn Neal is running unopposed for her at-large seat. Councilman At-Large incumbent Tom Bevirt faces Don Cox.

In Smyrna, all seven members of the City Council and mayoral post are up for re-election this year. Alex Backry is once again challenging incumbent Mayor Max Bacon. Councilmen Jimmy Smith, Melleny Pritchett, Mayor Pro-Tem Wade Lnenicka and Charles "Pete" Wood are unopposed in the election. Ward 2 Councilman Ron Newcomb faces Jean Aaron, Ward 2 Councilman Bill Scoggins faces Teri Anulewicz and Ward 4 Councilman Mike McNabb faces Joseph J. Marcoux.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

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