What's on your ballot?

Sara Fuchs

As of last night, more than 3400 voters in HD54 have voted early, either in person or by absentee ballot. This is amazing! Early voting is a great way to vote in this election - it's more convenient, it's secure, and it gives you an opportunity to correct anything that could get in the way of casting your ballot! Remember - you can vote early through November 4, including weekend voting this weekend! Check out our Voting Page for more information on how and when to vote.

We've had a busy week that included celebrating the Latin American Association's 50th anniversary at the Latin Fever Ball, meeting neighbors at another meet & greet event in Sandy Springs, supporting our next Attorney General - Jen Jordan - at a fundraiser in the district, and...the highlight of my whole week...meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda and asking him to help me get out the vote (see the video below).

And we're staying busy! You can join us for a Garden Hills Pool volunteer day on Saturday morning or for waving signs both days this weekend - see more details for how to sign up below. As always, I am enormously grateful for your support and civic engagement!

Don't forget that you can download a sample ballot when you log into the Georgia My Voter Page! Here is my guidance on the ballot questions that will be on everyone's ballot.

The first ballot question will be as follows:

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to suspend the compensation of the Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner
of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, or any member of the General
Assembly while such individual is suspended from office following indictment for a felony?"

This Constitutional amendment was approved unanimously by the General Assembly under SR 134. The measure allows the state government to suspend the salary of certain elected officials if they are indicted for a felony. This amendment was developed in response to the felony indictment of Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck, who continued to receive his full salary even after he was suspended from his job upon his indictment for fraud and other alleged felonies. Under the amendment, salary payments would be suspended after an official has been indicted and subsequently suspended from their duties by the governor. Should the official later be cleared of wrongdoing by a court or jury, they will receive all back pay due to them. I voted yes on this on the floor of the House, and I plan to vote YES on my ballot.

The second amendment, based on HR 594, will read as follows:

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the governing authority of each county,
municipality, and consolidated government and the board of education of each independent and county
school system in this state shall be authorized to grant temporary tax relief to properties within its
jurisdiction which are severely damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster and located within a nationally
declared disaster area?"

This amendment allows any authority that assesses property taxes to suspend collection of property taxes temporarily for any property located within a nationally declared disaster area that is seriously damaged by a natural disaster such as a hurricane, wildfire, or tornado. This measure relieves property owners from having to pay property taxes on a home or business that has been seriously damaged or destroyed. This measure was driven by the devastation witnessed following Hurricane Michael in 2018. I voted yes on this on the floor of the House, and I plan to vote YES on my ballot.

Two additional statewide ballot measures involve tax exemptions. The first one, HB 498, will be
worded as follows:

“Shall the Act be approved which expands a state-wide exemption from ad valorem taxes for agricultural
equipment and certain farm products held by certain entities to include entities comprising two or more
family owned farm entities, and which adds dairy products and unfertilized eggs of poultry as qualified
farm products with respect to such exemption?"

The measure expands the definition of “family owned farm entity” to include entities that comprise a merger or consolidation of enterprises that independently qualify as “family owned farm entities.” The measure adds dairy and egg products to the list of products that qualified family farms may exempt from ad valorem taxes. I voted yes on this on the floor of the House, and I plan to vote YES on my ballot.

The second tax measure, HB 997, reads:

“Shall the Act be approved which grants a state-wide exemption from all ad valorem taxes for
certain equipment used by timber producers in the production or harvest of timber?"

This exemption for equipment used in timber production and harvest would essentially treat timber equipment the same as other agricultural equipment in exempting it from ad valorem taxes. It's simply a matter of treating two kinds of agricultural entities equitably. I voted yes on this on the floor of the House, and I plan to vote YES on my ballot.