Georgia voters will head to the polls today to cast ballots in two statewide Public Service Commission races and a host of local municipal races.
Election Day comes after three weeks of early and absentee voting, during which nearly 9% of the state’s 7.2 million active registered voters cast ballots.
According to figures from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, 640,480 people have already cast ballots, with the highest single-county turnout in South Georgia’s Clinch County (highlighted in blue on the map below).
Turnout across Northeast Georgia is at 7.8%, with 61,520 of the region’s 787,254 active registered voters casting ballots ahead of Election Day.
Turnout by county
In Northeast Georgia, Union County recorded the highest early turnout with 13.5% of the county’s 21,408 active registered voters casting ballots. Rabun County was second, with 12.72%, or 1,689 voters out of 13,279.
Habersham County reported a 10.6% early/absentee voter turnout, with 3,274 of the county’s 30,976 active registered voters casting ballots before election day.
Races to watch
The only statewide races on the ballot are for two open seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Democrats Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson are challenging Republican incumbents Fitz Johnson and Tim Echols, respectively. The PSC is the statewide regulatory authority that sets utility rates, including for electricity and gas.
Locally, some of the bigger races to watch will be the race for Baldwin mayor and the Clarkesville City Council Post 4 race.
Also, Habersham has a 1% SPLOST referendum on the ballot for a new jail, and White County voters will decide the fate of an additional penny-on-the-dollar sales tax. Supporters of White County’s proposed Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) say it would help offset property taxes.
Polls are open across the state from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with some metro Atlanta polling precincts remaining open until 8 p.m. for municipal election voting.
