Voters shows strong support for repeal in McIntosh County special election

MCINTOSH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A special election held Tuesday in McIntosh County has delivered a decisive outcome that could significantly alter the future of Hog Hammock on Sapelo Island.

The vote, centered on the tension between protecting the historic Gullah Geechee community and increasing development pressures, resulted in an overwhelming approval of the repeal.

According to unofficial results released to WTOC, 1,584 voters supported the measure, while 285 opposed it.

Turnout for the election stood at 19%.

READ: McIntosh County special election: Gullah Geechee community fights to preserve historic land

At the center of the conflict is a 2023 zoning change that would allow homes in the Hog Hammock area to double in size. For members of the Gullah Geechee community, whose ancestors were enslaved and worked on island plantations generations ago, this decision represents a threat to more than just building codes—it threatens their very survival as a cultural group.

Residents expressed concerns the ordinance would allow development that would fundamentally change the fabric of the community.

READ: GA Supreme Court rules in favor of Gullah Geechee communities in Sapelo Island zoning case

Residents gathered enough signatures to trigger Tueaday’s countywide referendum and succeeded in a legal challenge by the County that reached the Georgia Supreme Court.