In Columbus, Macon Road divides the north from the south, the haves from the have-nots, and the passing schools from the failing schools.

Ask any Realtor. I heard it 11 years ago when I moved to Columbus, and I'm hearing it louder than ever today.

Around here, success is a place on a map. You either live there or you don't, and nobody ever moves.

But fortunately it's not always that simple. Sometimes, success is a place in your mind. You can go there, regardless of where on the map you live.

I'm thinking about the precinct-by-precinct numbers for voter turnout in Tuesday's election. Counting early voting and absentee ballots, the city's highest voter turnout occurred at Wynnbrook Baptist Church, the polling place for residents of Green Island and Brookstone.

There, far north of Macon Road, nearly 75 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

Four other Muscogee County precincts had a voter turnout of 65 percent or more. One was headquartered at the Psalmond Road Supercenter, one at St. Mark Methodist Church on Whitesville Road, and one at St. Peter Methodist Church at the corner of Moon and Weems.

All in the Promised Land. The people there have hope, believe they matter, and are convinced their voices will be heard.

There was one exception: St. John A.M.E. Church on Steam Mill Road, three or four miles below Macon Road, with a voter turnout of 67 percent.

Coincidence or not, it's a quarter of a mile away from Dimon Elementary School, where nearly 80 percent of the students are considered to be living in poverty.

But its latest overall scores on the Criterion Referenced Competency tests are higher than eight of the 18 elementary schools north of Macon Road, and last year, with the bar being raised to unrealistic levels, the school made adequate yearly progress.

Not geographically the Promised Land. But the people there have hope, believe they matter, and are convinced their voices will be heard.

The other precincts didn't fare so well. In fact, four of the city's five weakest voter turnouts were south of Macon Road. One was headquartered at Eddy Middle School, one at Muscogee Elementary School, one at First African Baptist Church, and the other at Marianna Gallops Center.

There was one exception: Fox Community Center, north of Macon Road and just below Manchester Expressway, tucked between Second Avenue and Veterans Parkway, with the city's lowest voter turnout at 37 percent.

Coincidence or not, it's located on the grounds of Fox Elementary School, where nearly 95 percent of the students are considered to be living in poverty.

It's also the only school in town with overall CRCT scores below 45 in math, science and social studies.

Technically in the Promised Land, but thousands and thousands of miles away.

The people there have no hope, don't believe they matter, and are convinced their voices won't be heard.

It can change. It won't be easy, and it will take the people of the Promised Land -- whether that be on a map or in their minds -- to help them do it.

Dimon Kendrick-Holmes, executive editor, can be reached at dkholmes@ledger-enquirer.com.