Clarkston, GA — The special election to fill Yterenickia “YT” Bell’s seat on the Clarkston City Council will be held tomorrow, March 16.

“Voting on Election Day March 16, will take place at the two precincts: Clarkston First Baptist Church Family Life Center at 4007 Church Street, and the Clarkston Community Center at 3701 College Ave, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” the city’s website says. “Any person who is a resident of the city of Clarkston and who is registered at least thirty (30) days prior to this election with the DeKalb County Board of Registrations and Elections as an elector within the city of Clarkston shall be eligible to vote in this election.  Deadline for voter registration [was] February 16, 2021.   The city of Clarkston has two (2) Voting Precincts. city of Clarkston voters MUST Vote at their designated precinct.”

To find your precinct, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page by clicking here.

The three candidates are Shana “Tiny” McAllister, Dean Moore and Mark Perkins.

McAllister is running for the City Council largely because she loves the city and wants to be part of Clarkston’s growth.

More information about the candidates can be found here.

McAllister is running for the City Council largely because she loves the city and wants to be part of Clarkston’s growth. Her top issues of importance are affordable housing, green space development and beautification efforts.

Another big focus for McAllister is educating the public on how to properly recycle.

Moore previously served on the City Council from 2010 to 2017, when he did not win reelection. He is running again to continue his involvement in the city and help it thrive. His top local issues are the zoning code rewrite, the comprehensive plan update and ensuring smart development.

Perkins hopes to move the city toward a more collaborative political spirit that benefits the community. The core value of his campaign is moving people together, utilizing knowledgeable people and having conversations. His main local concerns are the coronavirus pandemic, protecting small businesses, helping renters and continuing the Clarkston Police Department’s cultural sensitivity work.

The candidates encourage residents to head to the polls during early voting or on Election Day. Moore said residents should continue to be involved in their local government and pick their community leaders.

“It is time to revise zoning and update our future plan,” Moore said. “We could literally lose our neighborhoods before the next election in November 2021.”

Voting is one of the primary ways to have a say in the city, Perkins added.

“We are very fortunate to be in a situation where we have a voice in what our community becomes and the things that we are able to preserve and the things that we are willing to flex on,” Perkins previously told Tucker Observer.

Writer Zoe Seiler contributed to this story. 

The Tucker Observer is a new community news website owned by Decaturish.com. We provide locally sourced news about Tucker, Clarkston and Stone Mountain.