While only residents living in half of Bulloch County will find candidates for the Bulloch County Commission District 2A race on their ballots, the candidates themselves hope those residents will take the time to get out and vote.

Curt Deal and Jimmy Hayes are still vying for the position, vacated by current Commissioner Carolyn Etheridge’s pending retirement Dec. 31. Etheridge decided not to seek reelection to the office.

Deal and Hayes will face off July 26 in a runoff election. Deal garnered 3,088 votes during the May 24 General Primary election, followed by Hayes’ 2,206 votes.

Both are continuing work by soliciting votes and reminding people the race is not over.

“I’m doing the same thing I did before,” Deal said. “Visiting the farmer’s markets, coffee clubs, going door to door” and meeting voters, he said.

Hayes said he took a short break after the General Primary but is now back at it, “visiting people, attending public meetings, putting up more signs.”

He said many of his signs were stolen, and said when he asked, Deal said he had the same problem. Supporters have told him the signs were removed, and that they did not do so, Hayes said.

Each agreed that getting people to vote in the runoff is important. Bulloch County elections supervisor Patricia Lanier Jones said the percentage of voter turnout for runoffs is traditionally low, and that she expects as low as 10 percent come July 26.

“Voting is very important as far as being a citizen,” Deal said. “I encourage all to come and support their candidate. They are all (open seats in all three runoff elections) important positions to our future.”

In addition to the Bulloch County Commission Seat 2A race, there are runoffs slated for the Bulloch County Probate Judge seat (candidates Charlie Aaron, local attorney, and Lorna DeLoach, legal assistant) and the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge position (Assistant District Attorney Michael Muldrew and local attorney Martha Hall).

“It is important to get back out and vote,” \Hayes said. “This is just as important as any other time. If only half of the people vote, they are letting the other half tell everybody what to do.”

Deal said if elected, he has no set agenda, but just wants to represent the people of the district and do what he can to give back to the community and serve in ways to better the county.

Hayes said if elected, he would do the same, but check back on “old issues” that he feels are unresolved in the county’s business, such as solid waste tippage fee disparities.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.