Just in case you’ve been living on the moon the last couple of years, we had an election on November 5, with some big decisions both nationally and locally. While the GOP dominated the ballots in DeKalb County and the state, local voters also decided on two referendums tied to a proposed Judicial Center to replace the DeKalb County Jail and courthouse. The ballot saw a record number of voters in DeKalb, with 9,483 casting votes out of 14,085 registered voters. A total of 3,058 voted on election day, while 6,111 voted early. There were 314 absentee ballots cast.

The 45th President of the United States will now be the 47th, after the country overwhelmingly voted him in for a second term over Democratic candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump will be only the second president in U.S. history to serve two nonconsecutive terms in office, the first being Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s.

In DeKalb County, the Trump/J.D. Vance ticket garnered 80.7 percent of the vote with 7,599 ballots cast in their favor. Harris received 18.12 percent, or 1,706 votes. Robert Kennedy Jr. received 55 votes even though he had dropped out of the race. Trump dominated all 12 precincts in DeKalb County. Statewide, Trump had 1,964,499 votes to Harris’ 1,055,039.

In the Senate race, incumbent Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn won her bid for reelection, garnering 7,137 votes in the county, or 78.92 percent. Her Democratic opposition, Gloria Johnson, had 1,707 votes or 18.88 percent. Blackburn won all precincts and early voting.

Incumbent Republican 6th District Congressman John Rose had a strong showing in DeKalb, winning 7,001 votes, or 82.24 percent, to challenger Lore Bergman with 1,505, or 17.68 percent.  Rose won all 12 precincts and early voting and absentees. Rose won the 6th District with 225,430 votes to 106,050 for Bergman.

Incumbent 16th District State Senator Janice Bowling, won her bid for reelection with 6,614 votes, or 80.13 percent. Her Democratic opponent, Wayne Steele, got 1,421, or 17.22 percent, while Independent candidate Scott Bean had 218, or 2.64 percent. District-wide Bowling had 66, 312 to Steele’s 15,909. Bean received 5,098 votes.

Incumbent 40th District State Representative Michael Hale won his bid for a second term with 7,462 votes, 84.86 percent in DeKalb, and 25,270 district-wide. His opponent Daniel Hawthorne received 1,316, or 14.97 percent, and 4,907 district-wide. Hale swept all 12 precincts locally and had a majority of the early votes and absentees.

On the two referendum issues on the ballot, DeKalb County voters voted overwhelmingly against both measures. One referendum asked if voters were for or against the county’s plan to issue up to $65 million in bonds for the construction of a proposed judicial center. Voter voted down the issue, voting 7,591 against, with only 1,316 voting in favor.

The second referendum asked whether voters were for or against a proposed $50 wheel tax to help offset a recent 51-cent property tax hike, approved to provide funds for the proposed judicial center. Once again, voters rejected the measure with 7,591 voting against and 1,477 voting in favor.

With the defeat, the County Commission will have to reevaluate their plans for a judicial center or jail expansion.