What’s New @ AFPLS

Fulton County voters will be called to the polls one more time on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. The four undecided races on the ballot are as follows:

• Jim Martin vs Saxby Chambliss for US Senate
• Jim Powell vs. Lauren W. McDonald Jr. for Public Service Commission
• Kimberly Esmond Adams vs. Mike Wallace for Superior Court Judge (Non-Partison)
• Sara Doyle vs. Mike Sheffield for Court of Appeals (Non-Partisan)

Regular voting will be held at your normal precinct polling place. If you are unsure where to go you can check the Poll Locator from the Secretary of State’s Office here.

Absentee voting will be available, but you must fill out the application first in order to have a ballot sent to you. Please be aware of the time constraints involved and have these applications mailed in ASAP! Also, even if you did not vote in the general election, as long as you were registered on or before October 6, 2008, you may vote in the runoff. However, it is too late to register now.

Early voting will happen the week prior to the election from November 24-26. Be aware that this is Thanksgiving week and therefore Government Centers will only be open Monday-Wednesday of that week from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The three early voting locations are as follows:

Fulton County Government Center
141 Pryor St. S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303

North Fulton Service Center
7741 Roswell Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia, 30350

South Fulton Service Center
5600 Stonewall Tell Road
College Park, Georgia, 30349

Happy Voting!

Today is your last chance to find information on the candidates before election day! Here are some links that could help you make those last minute voting decision. Don’t forget-polls are open tomorrow, November 4, from 7 am - 7pm. To find out where your polling location is, click here.

For nonpartisan info on the preseidential candidates, including indepedent and write-in candidates, Project Vote Smart has a great site which includes voting records and campaign finances.

Fulton County Sample ballots

Fulton County Department of Registrations and Elections

The website for Georgia’s Secretary of State (Fulton County’s Karen Handel) has links to information on candidates running for statewide offices and the statewide referendums.

CNN has an election center online and will keep up to the minute updates on important races nationwide. Fox News has a similar online election focus as well.

If you want to help your kids get a better understanding of what is going on amidst all the election craziness, Scholastic News breaks the process and candidates down and makes it simple and easy to read and age appropiate-that might actually be a good thing for adults to read, too!

Hopefully this information will help you make the best of your vote. Enjoy your election day!

With the November 4th election just on the horizon, Fulton County wants residents to know that we are now less than a month away from the registration deadline. Below you will find links to useful information regarding voting registration and information. You can fill out a voter registration form at any branch of AFPLS, so be sure and do so if you haven’t already! The deadline to vote in the November 4th General Election is October 6, 2008.

• General Election Info
• Find out where to vote:  Simply enter your info and click Submit.
• Absentee Voting Info
• Printable Absentee Ballot Application

For absentee voters, once you have filled out the application you can fax or mail it to the address below to have your ballot mailed to you.

FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRARS:                              

Fulton County Election Supervisor

141 Pryor Street, SW, Suite 4075                                    

Atlanta, GA 30303-3444

Telephone: (404)730-7020

FAX: (404)730-7024

AFPLS is working in conjunction with Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites to allow library card users to check out a free “ParkPass” that allows one to access or park for free at any State of Georgia State Park or Historical Site. This is a particular treat for families and many of the parks and sites are located in the Atlanta-area. Each branch of AFPLS will have one pass that is available to be checked out for 7 days. To read more about this great program, click here. You can access a list and map of Georgia State Parks and sites by clicking here. You can also check out the family-friendly website Get Outdoors Georgia for a list of family-orientated events at the parks state-wide. Enjoy your summer close to home and for free!

Here are a few links from Fulton County that might be of help to our readers:

Click here for the phone numbers to report damage that was a result of the Sunday, May 11 tornado in South Fulton. This includes downed trees and power lines.

If you are looking to work for Fulton County then use these links for employment applications, employee benefits and current openings.

Here are two links related to property taxes: The Fulton County Board of Assesors, which determines home values, and the Fulton County Tax Commissioner, who bills and collects property taxes.

You can read the minutes, agendas and other related documents from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners by clicking here.

A list of Fulton County Departments is also available.

The Librarians’ Internet Index’s current Tip of the Week for this week, is one I’m sure everybody can use right now. It’s a collection of websites for scouting out the cheapest gas in your area. With gas prices creeping upward almost every day, finding a gas station near you that’s selling for a penny cheaper than the one on the other side of the street can feel like a major accomplishment!

Along with the various search sites listed here, the folks at LII have also included links to the Department of Energy, CNN, and the Environmental Protection Agency for more information on how gas prices are determined and how these rising costs are affecting Americans.

I know many of you are looking forward to those stimulus checks from the Federal Government-I know I am! For some, the checks have already been deposited into your accounts. Below are the dates you can expect to recieve your payment if you recieved your tax refund via direct deposit:

Last 2 digits of SS#…..Payment Deposit By
00-20……………………………..May 2
21-75……………………………..May 9
76-99……………………………..May 16

The IRS website has a page listing these dates, as well as the dates for those expecting a paper check and a set of frequently asked questions. For more information, please check the IRS website at www.irs.gov

Georgia state tax forms were mailed out to AFPLS branches last Saturday and most branches now have the Georgia 500 booklets and forms. You may still want to contact your local branch first to double check that the forms have arrived.

If you have already filed your Federal taxes, either online or via mail, you can now track your tax refund, if you were so lucky to have recieved one. You can track your refund via the IRS website or, if it’s been more then 28 days since you filed, put in a request for a refund trace.

Have you ever tried to find a city ordinance or a Georgia law and had trouble finding a paper copy? Most of these are available online and are updated fairly regularly. Please note these are for informational purposes only. Below are links for Federal , State and local codes and ordinances:

Code of Federal Regulations

U.S. Code

Federal Legistlation (THOMAS)

Georgia Code

Georgia General Assembly Legislative Search

Fulton County Code of Ordinances