The Gwinnett County MARTA referendum got a boost from Democrats in the General Assembly Monday as the county began early voting on the issue.
Nine Gwinnett Democrats urged voters to support the referendum, which would allow MARTA to take over the county's transit system and would impose a 1-cent sales tax for transit expansion in Georgia's second-largest county (you can learn more about the details here).
"It's crucial that voters in Gwinnett make their voices heard," Sen. Zahra Karinshak, D-Duluth, chair of the county's Senate delegation, said at a press conference at the state Capitol.
The Gold Dome press conference was part of a blitz of activity around early voting. The Lilburn Community Improvement District is sponsoring several forums this week on the MARTA referendum. Peachtree Corners and Lawrenceville are having their own forums. And County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash appeared on the GPB radio show Political Rewind Monday to discuss the ballot measure.
Gwinnett voters will go to the polls March 19 to decide the referendum’s fate. But three weeks of early voting began Monday.
Sen. Sheikh Rahman, D-Lawrenceville, vice-chairman of the county's Senate delegation, urged people to vote, regardless of their views. But the legislators who attended the press conference support the referendum.
“If this is something you want, you have to go to the polls,” said Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Tucker.
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