By Eric Curl
Like ‘The Jeffersons’, downtown Savannah’s early voters will be “Movin’ on Up” for the May primary.
The Civic Center’s Bryan Room, on the second floor, will be used during early voting for the May primary, along with five other locations, as approved by the Chatham County Board of Registrars on March 18.
The space on the upper level on the Johnny Mercer Theater side of the building was selected to replace the ground level Mason Room, which has been made unavailable due to the pending demolition of the arena side of the center.
“I’m glad we’re able to let the public know that we have six total sites, including one in the downtown area in the Civic Center area, since that was a little up in the air,” said board Chairman Colin McRae.
The decision comes with some history of accessibility issues at the Civic Center. In a prior election, both elevators were out of service, creating barriers for voters and triggering a complaint from the NAACP and a state election board investigation.
Those concerns were raised during the March 18 meeting, with board members asking about elevator reliability.
Director Sabrina German said that said both elevators are currently working and that city officials have committed to providing support if problems arise. To address the risk, German outlined a contingency plan that includes making additional standard voting machines available.
“We can move downstairs, but right now, everything is supposed to happen on the second floor,” she said. “And they did assure us that they will have someone there during regular business hours if we need assistance.”
They had also met with city officials to review the Otis Johnson Cultural Arts Center as an alternative location, but the option was ultimately rejected due to security concerns, German said.
Arena demolition pending
In June 2024, the Savannah City Council adopted a resolution to demolish the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena at the Civic Center, while preserving the Johnny Mercer Theater portion of the structure. At the Feb. 12 meeting, the city council approved contract with Reeves Young to establish a guaranteed maximum price of $10.9 million for the demolition project that will include construction of a temporary enclosure connecting the remaining lobby and theater. A portion of the parking lot is being closed of this month and visible demolition is expected to begin this summer.
The city held a ceremony on Jan. 17 to rename the Civic Center in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Johnny Mercer Theatre and other internal assets will retain their names.
2026 Election Schedule
- May 19, 2026: General Primary / Nonpartisan Election
Advance voting: Apr. 27–May 15 | Register by: Apr. 20 - June 16, 2026: Primary / Nonpartisan Runoff
Advance voting: June 8–12 | Runoff cutoff: May 18* - Nov. 3, 2026: General / Special Election
Advance voting: Oct. 13–30 | Register by: Oct. 5 - Dec. 1, 2026: General / Special Runoff
Advance voting: Nov. 23–25 | Runoff cutoff: Nov. 2*
*Applies to voters eligible for a runoff.
Early voting details
The Civic Center will be one of six early voting sites operating from April 27 through May 15 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center, Islands Library, Southwest Library, Garden City Library, Mosquito Control, and the voter registration annex on Eisenhower Drive.
Hours at the Civic Center will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with expanded evening and weekend hours available at the voter registration annex.
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