Advance voting Oct 13 to 30 Election Day Tuesday, Nov 3 Make your plan
Right now, the nearest package store is about 30 minutes from Big Canoe's North Gate. Each way. A Yes vote on November 3 lets Pickens County license package stores in the unincorporated county, so the trip can get a whole lot shorter.
The run right now
No package store can open in unincorporated Pickens County today. From the North Gate of Big Canoe, here's how far you drive for a bottle:
Make that run once a month and it adds up to...
Estimated driving distances and times from the North Gate of Big Canoe (7461 Wilderness Pkwy, Marble Hill) to the nearest package stores, using OpenStreetMap routing. Your times will vary with traffic, weather and how many dogs need a window seat.
Why Yes?
Georgia's local sales tax goes to the county where you buy. Every bottle bought in Dawsonville or Ball Ground sends that local sales tax to their county, not ours. State law also lets a county add a local excise tax of up to 22 cents per liter on package spirits, if Pickens chooses to.
Package store licenses mean new storefronts and local jobs. And every run you don't make out of county is a chance to grab dinner, groceries or a coffee with your neighbors instead.
Hosting dinner? Heading to the lake? Need a nice bottle for a birthday? Voting Yes means that errand doesn't have to eat your afternoon. More porch time. Less windshield time.
Here's what you'll see
It's called the Pickens County Package Sale of Distilled Spirits Referendum. A Yes vote lets the county issue licenses for package stores in the unincorporated county. A No vote keeps things the way they are.
Read the official notice (PDF)Pickens County Package Sale of Distilled Spirits Referendum
(Vote for One)
"Shall the issuance of licenses for the package sale of distilled spirits within the unincorporated limits of Pickens County?"
Good questions
No. The question is only about package sales, meaning sealed bottles you take home, in the unincorporated county.
The county sets the licensing rules. Georgia law also prohibits selling distilled spirits within 100 yards of a church building or within 200 yards of a school building, school grounds or college campus.
Voters registered in Pickens County. Part of Big Canoe lies in Dawson County, so double-check which county you're registered in.
No. Commissioners put the question on the ballot so voters could decide, and said it was not a stance for or against. That's why your vote matters.
The registration deadline for this election is October 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Check your status or register on the Georgia My Voter Page.
Map out your trip