Although all of the well-known candidates other than current President Joe Biden on the Democratic ballot and former President Donald Trump on the Republican ballot have now suspended their campaigns, Georgia is following through to conclude its presidential preference primary Tuesday, March 12.

Three weeks of in-person early voting opportunity will end at 5 p.m. Friday, March 8. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday – with two and a half days remaining – 1,696 of Bulloch County’s 50,740 registered voters (active and inactive) had cast early ballots. That included 1,585 in-person voters and 111 returned absentee ballots, said county Election Supervisor Shontay Jones.

This amounted to a 3.3% turnout to that point, after the two state-mandated early voting Saturdays and 12½ of the 15 early voting weekdays had passed.

In-person early voting remained available in the elections office at the County Annex, 113 North Main St., Suite 201, Statesboro, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

In Bulloch County, 45 voters cast ballots the first voting Saturday, Feb. 24, and 63 voted the second Saturday, March 2. No voting will occur this Saturday.

Last Friday, March 1, was the deadline to request paper absentee ballots, so only those already mailed out can still be voted. But they are to be counted if returned to the election headquarters by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, March 12.

All 16 traditional Bulloch County voting precincts will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday.

Voters participating in the presidential preference primary must choose a Democratic Party or a Republican Party ballot, but the choice does not bind voters to vote the same party’s ballot in the May 21 state, county and congressional primary or for any subsequent election.

Although many candidates have suspended their campaigns, none have officially withdrawn. In Georgia, there are three presidential candidates on the Democratic ballot and 11 candidates on the Republican ballot.

Georgia’s Republican presidential primary still includes these candidates: Ryan L. Binkley, Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Perry Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, David Stuckenberg and Donald J. Trump.

Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced Wednesday she was suspending her campaign. This was after Trump won primaries or caucuses in 14 of the 15 “Super Tuesday” states. Georgia is not a Super Tuesday state, but concludes its presidential primaries a week later.

On the Georgia’s Democratic presidential primary ballot, the three candidates are Joseph R. Biden Jr. (incumbent), Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. Philips, U.S. representative from Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district, has served as CEO of his family’s Phillips Distilling Company, based in Minneapolis, and owned some other companies. Williamson, author of self-help books and former spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan, also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Other reminders

Georgia requires photo ID for all forms of voting, whether early or on Election Day.. Accepted types include a Georgia driver’s license or valid ID card with photo issued by a branch, department, agency or entity of the state of Georgia, another state; or a valid U.S. passport; or photo employee identification card issued by the U.S. government, this state, or any county, municipality board or authority, or valid U.S. military identification card or tribal identification card with photograph.