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The Troup County Board of Elections and Registration voted Tuesday morning to have Saturday early voting from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Troup County Government Center on Nov. 26.

The Saturday early voting day will add a weekend to the early voting calendar. Early voting will also be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the government center on Monday, Nov. 28-Friday, Dec. 2. Election day is Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The vote passed unanimously, but it wasn’t without much discussion. A motion was actually made originally to extend voting hours on Nov. 28-Dec. 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both Eric Davenport and Dianne Davidson were in favor of the extended hours and voted in favor of that idea. Board chairman Bill Stump voted against and Paulette Hall and James Thrailkill abstained from the vote.

There was a few seconds of confusion as it was unclear who voted, but Stump asked all to raise their hand and it was clear there wasn’t a majority.

Stump then made a motion for Saturday voting and all five board members voted yes.

Several community members voiced their opinions during the meeting, all asking for Saturday voting to be approved.

The idea of Saturday voting only became possible after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox issued an order Friday that would allow Saturday voting for the upcoming run-off. The decision was a result of a lawsuit filed by Senator Raphael Warnock’s campaign and the Georgia Democratic Party.

Cox ruled that a Georgia state law saying there could not be early voting on a weekend day following a Thursday or Friday holiday did not apply to run-off elections. Both Thursday (Thanksgiving) and Friday (designated as a state holiday) are holidays in Georgia.

The state of Georgia appealed Cox’s ruling but but the appeals court Monday ruled in favor of allowing Saturday voting.

Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker are in a run-off for a Senate seat. Locally, Leon Childs and Quay Boddie are competing for a spot on the LaGrange City Council.