Voters head to the polls in local metro Atlanta races

Residents in two new cities, South Fulton and Stonecrest, will cast ballots today for their first mayors and council members as voters across metro Atlanta go to the polls for local elections. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Residents in two new cities, South Fulton and Stonecrest, will cast ballots today for their first mayors and council members as voters across metro Atlanta go to the polls for local elections. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Residents in two new cities, South Fulton and Stonecrest, will cast ballots today for their first mayors and council members as voters across metro Atlanta go to the polls for local elections.

Dozens of candidates are running in the inaugural elections for South Fulton and Stonecrest. Voters approved referendums creating the two southside cities last November.

In South Fulton, a city of about 100,000 people, nine candidates are vying for the mayor’s seat, while more than 60 are running for seven council seats.

With so many candidates, most, if not all of the races, are expected to go to a runoff. Runoff elections are scheduled for April 18.

Camilla Moore, the head of the South Fulton transition team, said she hopes voters will look for candidates who have vision and understand the responsibility that comes with holding office.

“The first set of elected officials are so important,” she said. “They dictate who you are as a city for the next 20 years.”

To see the full list of South Fulton candidates, go to http://bit.ly/2jZlWte. For video interviews of the mayoral candidates, see http://bit.ly/2jZrnIJ.

In Stonecrest, which includes 50,000 residents in DeKalb County, three candidates are running for mayor and 17 others are seeking five council seats.

To learn more about Stonecrest candidates for mayor, and to see a list of council candidates, read The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's coverage at http://on-ajc.com/2mJVCIs.

In Roswell, four candidates are running to fill the Post 4 position that expires at the end of the year. It was vacated by Kent Igleheart, who was charged with sexual exploitation of a child, in the fall.

Loganville residents will vote today on whether to allow Sunday sales of beer, wine and distilled spirits by the package.