The Rome City Commission has deferred until next year a vote on Sunday alcohol retail sales. The commission had planned to put the issue on the Nov. 8 ballot, but decided Monday night to hold off because there's no other reason to hold an election that day in the northwest Georgia city.

The Rome News-Tribune reports that Commissioner Jamie Doss says the Sunday sales vote was put off because of the expense it would incur. Doss says Rome voters will get a chance to decide the issue.

Other Georgia communities will allow a vote on Sunday sales in November. The latest includes Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia. Since the city is so close to the Tennessee border, residents can cross the state line to buy alcohol when they cannot purchase it in Georgia.

A tally by the Georgia Food Industry Association finds nearly 100 cities and counties throughout the state are set to hold Sunday sales referendums during the November general election later this year. The group said the votes represent about 2.5 million Georgians.

The new law, passed earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal, allows local leaders to ask voters to decide whether to permit grocery and convenience stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. Georgia had been one of just three states that prohibited Sunday retail alcohol sales.

Tags: Georgia, election, vote, Sunday alcohol sales