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Early voting for SPLOST VI and the mayor’s race in LaGrange is set to begin on Feb. 27 running through March 17. Both issues will be decided at the polls on March 21.

Elections Supervisor Andy Harper said there will be two days for Saturday voting on Saturday, March 4 and again on March 11.

Once early voting begins, registered voters can cast their ballots in advance at the Troup County Government Center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

For most of the county, only one issue will be on the ballot, whether or not to extend the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The current SPLOST is set to expire in 2024. If approved, SPLOST VI would run from 2015 to 2031.

Troup County voters have approved the optional one percent sales tax five times, which is used to fund capital outlay projects proposed by the county and all three cities. The money is divided up by population, so LaGrange and Troup County would get the majority of the funds at 45 percent each. West Point and Hogansville get the remaining funds at 5 percent each.

Based on previous SPLOST receipts, the county is projecting revenues of $80 million, about $10 million more than the previous SPLOST. Under the projected split, LaGrange and Troup would receive about $34.2 million each. West Point and Hogansville would get about $3.8 million each.

The other issue on the ballot —and only in LaGrange— is the special election to replace former mayor Jim Thornton, who resigned in November to take a job with the Georgia Municipal Association.

Two former LaGrange City councilmen will face off for the seat. Former District 1 Council member Jim Arrington and former District 2 Council Member Willie Edmondson have qualified for the race. Both men resigned from their council positions following the regular meeting on Jan. 24 prior to qualifying the following day.

Harper said he doesn’t know what to expect with the turnout for the upcoming vote. SPLOST votes don’t typically see high voter turnouts, but the LaGrange mayor race could change that.

“It depends on how heated the race for the mayor’s seat is going to be,” Harper said.