Voter registration deadline nears for Fulton tax votes

Johns Creek residents must register to vote by Oct. 5 to weigh in on two Fulton County tax referenda worth a combined $2.75 billion. Residents who have moved or need to update their address must also act before the deadline.

The Nov. 3 general election ballot includes a 0.75% Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) projected to steer $86.4 million to Johns Creek over five years.

A separate 1% Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) renewal would raise up to $2.1 billion countywide for school construction and upgrades. Johns Creek High School is specifically named in the ESPLOST call for election for infrastructure and safety system work.

Both measures require voter approval.

What's at stake locally

The TSPLOST, if passed, would take effect April 1, 2027, and run through March 31, 2032. Johns Creek's $86.4 million share would be the fourth-largest allocation among 14 participating Fulton County cities, behind South Fulton at $119.3 million, Sandy Springs at $112.3 million and Roswell at $98.2 million, according to a Fulton County press release.

Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts said in an Aug. 3 statement, when the county and 14 city governments signed the intergovernmental agreement placing the TSPLOST on the ballot, that "transportation remains one of the top concerns identified by Fulton County residents."

The ESPLOST renewal would reimpose a 1% sales tax beginning July 1, 2027, for up to five years. Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney urged North Fulton businesses, including those in Johns Creek, to support the renewal.

How to register or check your status

The Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov lets residents register online with a valid Georgia driver's license, check their current registration status and preview sample ballots. Residents without a driver's license can mail a paper application using the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Georgia law requires voters to be registered at their current home address. Residents who have moved since their last election must update their registration by Oct. 5. Under Senate Bill 189, a 2024 election law, voters registered at a nonresidential address such as a P.O. box or business must also update, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.

Voters whose status shows "inactive" can restore it simply by voting. Those marked "challenged" should contact the Fulton County Voter Registration Division at 404-612-3816. Joseph Kirk, Bartow County elections director and past president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, said the fix "could be filling out a form, it could be a new application, it could be some kind of documentation." The best step, Kirk said, is to call your local elections office.

Residents can also register in person at the North Fulton Service Center, 7741 Roswell Road, Room 251, Sandy Springs.