Buckle up, Georgia, it's almost election day.
On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls to make their decisions in a slew of contested races throughout the area, and a number of key decisions will be made right here in the northwest segment of the state.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and election officials fully expect to be running full-steam for the duration. Early ballots have been filtering in all month, but the actual election day always ushers in a flood of votes.
And with decisions to be made about everything from school funding to candidates for county commission to state senators, there's a lot riding on what happens this go-round.
Jeff Mullis, a 16-year incumbent state senator representing the 53rd District, faces a challenge from former Trion mayor Lanny Thomas, making this only the second time Mullis has had a GOP challenger since he was elected in 2000.
Thomas has said Mullis is disconnected from his constituents, pointing to the issue of Walker County's sole commissioner and saying many voters want an actual board.
"They've been pushing for a board for the county commission job," Thomas told Times Free Press in March. "I don't think that [Mullis] has pursued that."
Mullis was not immediately available to comment Saturday afternoon, but he told the Times Free Press in March he would not give in to opposition voices because he believed most county residents supported the sole commissioner form of government.
The race for that position in Walker County has also been the source of some fireworks over the last year as the incumbent, Bebe Heiskell, has opted to run as an independent after winning the previous four elections as a Republican.
On Tuesday, voters will decide who her GOP opponent will be in the fall - Shannon Whitfield or Mike Peardon.
Whitfield has been a Chickamauga city councilman for two years and has served on boards for the Walker County Chamber of Commerce and Chickamauga Planning Commission. Peardon is a military veteran and a small business owner.
A large part of the debate driving the commissioner race revolves around the issue of how much debt the county is carrying and what should be done to start paying it off.
Whitfield has said the county should consider itself more than $80 million in debt while Heiskell has said the number is closer to $12 million. Peardon has said he is unsure what the debt level is but he believes the county's audits are not accurate.
In addition to political races, another decision on the table in Chickamauga could have an immediate impact. Voters will either pass or reject $2.5 million in general obligation bonds to pay for the construction of a new school.
The state government has already agreed to pay the majority of what Chickamauga superintendent Melody Day estimated would be a $15 million endeavor to replace Godon Lee High School.
She said voters should seize the opportunity because Chickamauga has the money for a new school in hand and the need for a new school building is clear.
Day said the building is "absolutely gorgeous, even at 86, but it has terrific infrastructure problems."
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow on Twitter @emmettgienapp.