With a race for president atop the ballot, 70 percent turnout would not be unprecedented in Bulloch County. It also wouldn’t be a historic first if more than a third of the county’s 30,000 registered voters cast their ballots before Election Day, Nov. 8.
Early voting begins Monday all over Georgia for the general election that features names such as Clinton and Trump. Bulloch County will have three early voting sites, but only one will be open the full three weeks.
Roughly 40 percent of Bulloch County’s active, registered voters turned out for the March 1 presidential preference primary, and less than 33 percent voted in the May 24 primaries featuring state and local offices. But history suggests that more voters will participate in the final general election, from Monday through Nov. 8.
“Seventy percent wouldn’t even surprise me,” Bulloch County Election Supervisor Patricia Lanier Jones said Friday. “People have wanted to vote this week already.”
In recent history, turnout here has been higher for general elections than primaries and much higher in presidential election cycles than in the alternate even-numbered years when Georgia elects a governor.
In the last two gubernatorial election cycles, Bulloch County turnout was just 44 percent in November 2010 and 43.2 percent in November 2014.
Historic high turnout
But the Statesboro Herald reported a 74.6 percent Bulloch County turnout in the November 2004 election that kept George W. Bush in office against Democratic challenger John Kerry. Notably, that ballot also featured a closely contested 12th District congressional race and countywide races for sheriff and Board of Commissioners chairman.
Turnout here was 68 percent in November 2008, when President Barack Obama was first elected, although Republican nominee John McCain carried Bulloch County.
In the November 2012 election, which featured Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, the local turnout was 67.8 percent, according to Jones’ records. That year 10,917 Bulloch voters took advantage of in-person early voting opportunities, and another 1,132 returned absentee ballots, for a total of 12,049 votes by means other than election-day voting at regular precincts.
County Annex voting
Voting, on touch-screen machines just like those used on Election Day, will be available 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 17 to Nov. 4, inside the Bulloch County Annex at 113 N. Main St. But the Bulloch County Board of Elections will also offer early voting for fewer days at two other locations, and there will be one statewide day of Saturday voting.
GSU & Honey Bowen
Three days of advanced voting will be offered on the Georgia Southern University campus, Oct. 25-27, also 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., in the Russell Union.
Then the Honey Bowen Building, on Max Lockwood Drive at Fair Road Park, will be open for early voting Oct. 31 until Nov. 4, again, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. All of these locations are available to voters from anywhere in the county.
Saturday voting
Saturday voting hours will be Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at both the Bulloch County Annex and Honey Bowen Building.
In addition to the regular elections office staff, 13 or 14 poll workers will help to operate early voting, beginning Monday. Another six or so will form a “satellite crew” to staff first the GSU Russell Union and then the Honey Bowen Building, Jones said.
Absentee ballots, etc.
Paper absentee ballots can be mailed out until Nov. 4, and are accepted if returned by mail or in person by the voter, or by a designee for someone with a disability, by the close of voting Nov. 8. Absentee ballot applications are available at the local elections office and online at the statewide My Voter Page, www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.
Election Day, Nov. 8, all 16 Bulloch County precincts will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Who’s on the ballot
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump appear on Georgia’s presidential ballot page with Libertarian Gary Johnson, each paired with their vice presidential running mates. Green Party nominee Jill Stein did not qualify for the Georgia ballot but is one of 17 recognized presidential write-in candidates.
Moving down the ballot, this election features the race among Republican incumbent Sen. Johnny Isakson, Democratic challenger Jim Barksdale and Libertarian Allen Buckley for Isakson’s U.S. Senate seat. There is also a recognized write-in, Michelle Gates. If the Senate seat went to a runoff, it would be held Jan. 10.
For Georgia Public Service Commission, Republican incumbent Tim Echols faces a Libertarian challenger, Eric Hoskins.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, Republican incumbent in the 12th Congressional District, is shown on the ballot with a Democratic challenger, Patricia C. McCracken. For Georgia General Assembly in District 160, Republican incumbent Rep. Jan Tankersley is opposed by Democrat James Woodall.
For Bulloch County sheriff, Republican Noel Brown and Democrat Keith Howard square off for the office being vacated by retiring Sheriff Lynn Anderson.
Voters in Bulloch County Board of Commissioners District 2 only will choose between Republican Curt Deal and Democrat Kelphie Lundy for Seat 2A and between Democrat Gene Anderson and Republican Jappy Stringer for Seat 2C.
The ballot also includes four proposed amendments to the state Constitution.
Reminders
All voters need to bring a Georgia driver’s license or other valid, government-issued photo identification with them, whether they vote early or on Election Day. But Jones reminds voters not to bring visible campaign buttons, signs, shirts and hats, because Georgia law prohibits campaigning within 150 feet of a polling place.
Al Hackle may be reached at (912) 489-9458.