Voters across two of the state's largest counties already answered the Sunday alcohol sales question once, and they overwhelmingly said yes.
But on Tuesday's primary ballots, Cobb and most of Fulton are being asked again: Should grocery, convenience and liquor stores be allowed to sell alcohol seven days per week?
It's not memory lapse, but rather the consequences of a state law that says for an unincorporated area to have Sunday sales, "electors of the county" must decide, meaning city residents get to weigh in, too.
While no one expects voters to reject the change in either county, the law has created a situation for unincorporated south Fulton that flies in the face of how state legislators sold their overturn of the statewide ban in 2011, saying that localities would decide the issue for themselves.
South Fulton, which hadn't voted yet, makes up less than 10 percent of the county's population, and the people there will be deciding along with far more voters in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, East Point and seven other cities that already approved and started Sunday sales.
"I don't think it's fair," said south Fulton resident Sheila Entzminger, who plans to vote against the measure. "They're not really affected by it."
The only two Fulton cities that haven't put the issue on the ballot, Fairburn and Mountain Park, also will vote, as will Palmetto, the only metro community to say no. They'll be deciding for south Fulton, though, not for themselves.
In Cobb, Tuesday's referendum is a do-over because a vote in March left out its six cities, which make up about a quarter of the population and have all enacted Sunday sales. The county stood down when Kennesaw resident and former state Rep. Roger Hines filed a challenge seeking a revote.
Kennesaw resident Carter Berkeley said that as a Cobb taxpayer, he has a right to vote in the unincorporated referendum. He was miffed about being shut out in March, he said.
Berkeley said he'll be voting yes. He wants stores open in the county, for NFL game day beer runs, as much as he does in the city.
"I like my personal freedom," he said. "If it's going to affect everybody, then the whole majority need to be involved with it."
Originally, unincorporated Cobb's Sunday sales were to start June 1, but now the earliest will be Aug. 12. Liquor store owners in areas still dry on church days say it's cutting into Saturday profits, with many of their customers waiting until Sunday to stock up, and going elsewhere.
"It's unfortunate, because we already voted once," said Mark Brown, co-owner of the Wine Shop in east Cobb and president of the Georgia Alcohol Dealers Association. "Do I think it's fair? Probably not, but that's their call, and it's beyond what I have power over."
State Sen. John Bulloch, a Republican from South Georgia and chief sponsor of the 2011 bill legalizing Sunday sales, said there's no way to exclude cities from county referendums without a constitutional amendment. It creates a disparity for unincorporated residents, he said, especially in south Fulton.
Mike Chia, owner of Lucky 7 Beverage Mart on Old National Highway, said his revenue is down about 40 percent per month, forcing him to cut his three employees' schedules by 10 hours per week. He said he would prefer south Fulton decide the issue on its own.
"It doesn't make sense," he said. "But if you look at it overall, they're all selling alcohol on Sundays, so I don't see any reason for them to say no."
Staff writer Janel Davis contributed to this article.
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