Stonecrest election going slowly so far

Early voting for the special election in the new city of Stonecrest is off to a slow start with only 57 people casting votes in the first three days, elections officials say.

DeKalb County Elections Director Maxine Daniels said there are 33,000 eligible voters in the new city, however, she is not expecting a big turnout even by March 21, Election Day, since this is only a municipal election.

“Typically, we expect a 5 percent turnout. So, we’re looking at about 1,500 voters expected altogether,” Daniels said. “Hopefully, it will pick up.”

Meanwhile, community groups are working to get out the vote. The following organizations have notified On Common Ground News of candidate forums/meet-and-greets they are hosting for the public to attend:

Monday, March 6: The DeKalb Coalition for Voter Education and Mobilization will host a meet-and-greet for the city of Stonecrest candidates, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia.

Tuesday, March 7: The DeKalb County NAACP will host a candidate forum for all contestants, 6:30 p.m., at Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive, Lithonia.

Thursday, March 9: The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce is presenting a forum for the mayoral candidates, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson will moderate the forum.

Click here for a list of the candidates.