The Current: McIntosh County holds new referendum on Sapelo Island rezoning as ordered by court
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McIntosh to begin second vote on Sapelo zoning referendum
Early voting begins Dec. 29 for Jan. 20 referendum on Hogg Hummock zoning.
by Mary Landersmary.l...@thecurrentga.orgDecember 22nd, 2025 Why you can trust The Current
Early voting on the Sapelo referendum began Monday at the McIntosh County Board of Elections office with 52 voters casting ballots. Credit: Susan Catron/The Current GA
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Early voting in the McIntosh County Special Election begins Monday, Dec. 29. This will be the second go-round for this referendum, which was challenged by the county but ultimately upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court.
Voters are asked to choose yes or no on the question “Shall the Action of the Board of Commissioners of McIntosh County, Georgia, amending the McIntosh County Code of Ordinances Appendix C Sec. 219 HH Hog Hammock District of the McIntosh County Ordinance be repealed?”
The Hogg Hummock (as descendants prefer) area is inhabited by descendants of enslaved West Africans and is the last Gullah-Geechee community on a Georgia barrier island. The county commission approved zoning changes on Sapelo in September, 2023. The changes would allow bigger, taller houses, which residents fear will force out Sapelo descendants in favor of wealthy developers.
Sign designating the Historic Hog Hammock Community on Sapelo Island. Credit: Jeffery M. Glover/ The Current
When and where to vote in the Hogg Hummock referendum
Early, in-person voting begins 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 29 at the McIntosh County Board of Elections office, 103 Jefferson St., Darien, and continues Mon-Fri. through Jan. 16 (with the exception of Jan. 1) and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays Jan. 3 and 10 at the same location.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Jan. 9 for the Jan. 20 special election. All polls will be open on Jan. 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
McIntosh residents who have registered to vote by Dec. 22 are eligible to vote in the referendum.
Source: McIntosh County Elections Supervisor Elenore “Doll” Gale.
Residents quickly sued the county on the grounds that the zoning measure was unjust and discriminatory. Represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP, they alleged violations of their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection as well as violations of Georgia’s Open Meeting Law.
That ongoing litigation, Bailey, et. al. v. McIntosh County, is paused to allow mediation. The parties held two days of private talks in December and will provide an update on their progress to Sr. Judge F. Gates Peed in McIntosh County Superior Court in early January.
Attorney Miriam Gutman of the Southern Poverty Law Center declined to provide comment about the mediation, saying it was confidential. Attorney Ken Jarrard, who represents the county, similarly declined comment.
First attempt at referendum
Shortly after the county passed its zoning changes in 2023, the “Keep Sapelo Geechee” coalition launched a petition drive to collect enough signatures to force a referendum, a little-used avenue of redress for voters outlined in the Georgia Constitution. By mid-summer 2024, a probate judge approved the referendum, scheduling it for Oct. 1, 2024.
Early voting was already underway last year with more than 800 ballots cast when a Superior Court judge granted the county’s request to shut down the special election. When that decision was appealed, the Georgia Supreme Court in September sided with the residents, putting the referendum back on the calendar.
Implementation of the new zoning has been stalled since November, 2024, as a result of a temporary injunction residents requested at that time.
In a video posted to Facebook earlier this month, Josiah “Jazz” Watts, a Gullah-Geechee descendant and community leader who also works on environmental justice issues for One Hundred Miles, encouraged McIntosh residents to vote “yes” on the referendum.
“This is about telling your local officials they need to do better,” he said. “That they need to stand with us. That they need to work with communities and not against them.”
Adding to the uncertainty around future property taxes in Hogg Hummock, the McIntosh County Board of Assessors on Dec. 3 heard a proposal to raise the assessed value on properties in the Hogg Hummock community, with the valuation of some lots slated to rise almost tenfold the Southern Poverty Law Center reports.
The Board of Assessors next meets at 1 p.m. Jan. 7 at Darien City Hall, 601 Washington St., Darien. The meeting is open to the public.
The county’s efforts to fight the referendum and defend itself in court have been costly, with legal fees approaching half a million dollars and counting by September.
Related
Georgia high court hears Sapelo zoning referendum case
April 16th, 2025
In "Community"
Ga. Supreme Court upholds citizens’ right to vote to repeal Sapelo zoning
September 30th, 2025
In "Community"
McIntosh moves toward ‘reaffirming’ Sapelo zoning, then rethinks it
March 1st, 2025
In "Environment"
Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Tagged:Coastal Georgia, Darien, Gullah Geechee, McIntosh County, referendum, Sapelo Island, Voting
Mary Landers is a reporter for The Current in Coastal Georgia with more than two decades of experience focusing on the environment. Contact her at mary.l...@thecurrentga.org She covered climate and... More by Mary Landers
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