Booze to flow in Blairsville

Mixed alcoholic drinks will soon be ordinary fare in Blairsville restaurants as a result of last Tuesday’s election when voters approved a referendum to permit liquor sales at eating establishments within the county. With a turn out of just over half of the county’s registered voters, the measure was approved by sightly under 60 percent of the vote.
Two other alcohol issues were also on the ballot; however they are not binding but were put forth to determine how the public felt about these issues, the results of which will provide the county’s sole commissioner a basis on which to approve or disapprove the measures.
One resolution asked if voters favored the sale of beer and wine in county stores. It received 57 percent in favor and 43 percent against among Republican voters, and 69 percent in favor and 31 percent against such sale by Democrat voters.
Another resolution asked if voters favored sale of beer and wine by the drink. Some 57 percent of Republican voters were in favor of it with 43 percent opposed. Among Democrats the vote was 69 percent for and 31 percent against.
From the results of this vote, one would expect the county’s sole commissioner to approve sale of alcoholic beverages in all the categories voted on.

Union County voters vote Deal; Georgia goes for Handel

Although Nathan Deal carried most of north Georgia counties including Union County where he racked up almost 38 percent of the vote compared to Karen Handel’s 20.5 percent (they were the two top vote getters in the county as well as the state.), Handel racked up the most voters in the Republican gubernatorial across the state with 258,443 votes for her as compared to 155,207 votes for Deal, which is 23 percent. Since neither had a majority of the votes, there will be a statewide runoff on August 10 to determine who will face Democratic candidate Roy Barnes, who has held the office of governor previously.
Barnes easily won the Democratic Primary with 258,443 unofficial votes over his closest rival Thurbert  Baker who garnered 85,192 or 22 percent of the votes. In Union County, Barnes got 72.5 percent of the votes compared to Baker’s 11 percent.

For 9th Congressional District, it looks like a runoff

Tome Graves was close to a majority but not quite. He racked up 38,824 votes or 49 percent compared to his closest rival Lee Hawkins, who got 20,947 or 27 percent. Steve Tarvin came in third with 11,522 votes. Unless Graves picks up enough absentee/military votes in the official count to push him over the 50 percent mark, it looks like he will face a runoff with Lee Hawkins.

Union County School Board for Post 5

Julie Barton came out on top for this seat with 52 percent of the vote compared to Tim Helton’s 48 percent.