Candidates for the 9th District U.S. House seat made stops in Dawsonville earlier this week as polls opened for advance voting in next week’s special election.

Eight candidates are running in the May 11 contest to fill the seat vacated by Gainesville’s Nathan Deal, who resigned to run for governor.

Republican candidates include Chris Cates, Tom Graves, Lee Hawkins, Bert Loftman, Bill Stephens and Steve Tarvin.

Mike Freeman is the lone Democrat, while Eugene Moon is running as an Independent.

Whoever captures the seat will serve out the remainder of Deal’s term, which expires in January.

With a couple exceptions, most of the special election field has also qualified for the July 20 primary.

Neither Freeman or Moon entered that race, which is for a full two-year congressional term that begins in January.

In addition, Flowery Branch real estate broker Bobby Reese joined the other six Republican hopefuls.

Advance voting for the special election runs through 5 p.m. Friday at the Dawson County Elections and Voter Registration Office, 96 Academy Ave. in Dawsonville.

Polls will be open for the special election from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with voters casting ballots at three precincts in the county.

Elections supervisor Glenda Ferguson said voters should refer to the voter registration card they received in the mail to determine their polling place.

She did note, however, that voters directed to cast their ballots at the new Fire Station 2 will be voting instead at Kilough Elementary School on Kilough Church Road.

Construction of the fire station has been delayed by weather.

“We’re placing signs at the fire station and in the newspaper to notify the public they will be voting at Kilough Elementary instead of the new fire station as their registration card directed,” Ferguson said.