Election 2018: Columbus early vote tops midterm record. Here’s what to expect Tuesday
So many were in line to vote when the poll closed at 7 p.m. Friday that early voting in Columbus did not end until after 8.
All day Friday, the last day of early voting for this midterm election, Muscogee County residents swarmed the poll in the City Service Center off Macon Road, the line snake-coiling in the lobby to accommodate everyone on a rainy day.
By the time the last one in line was done, 2,404 had voted that day, averaging 200 an hour.
The total of votes cast in-person since early voting began Oct. 15 came to 27,786.
That’s short of the early in-person vote record set here during the 2016 presidential election: 34,209. But it easily outdistanced the last midterm, in 2014. That year 13,812 voted early in person.
Besides those, 2,571 cast mail-in absentee ballots, and 44 people in military service voted electronically. The total overall came to 16,427.
This year just those voting in person beat that in two weeks, with around 17,300 visiting the early voting poll between Oct. 15 and Oct. 27.
Driving turnout was the close race for governor between Democrat Stacy Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp, and fears of voter suppression spurring residents to vote early to ensure their ballots counted.
Now election workers get a breather as they prepare for what may be the finale of this election, if it does not go to a Dec. 4 runoff.
Election Day
Polls in Georgia will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST Tuesday, including 25 here in Columbus. Voters unsure of their voting precinct can find it online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page,” www.mvp.sos.ga.gov, where they can see sample ballots.
Nancy Boren, executive director of the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registrations, encourages voters to read ballots ahead of time if they intend to vote on five state constitutional amendments, two statewide referenda, and one local referendum on whether restaurants can start serving alcohol at 11 a.m. on Sundays instead of 12:30 p.m.
The ballot also has races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state school superintendent, and commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor, as well as congressional races such as the 3rd District contest between Democrat Chuck Enerlin and incumbent Republican Drew Ferguson, and the 2nd District race between incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop and Republican Herman West.
Residents in north Columbus will vote on Georgia Senate District 29, between Republican Randy Robertson and Democrat Valerie Haskins. That district includes all of Harris and Meriwether counties and parts of Troup.
But aside from the alcohol referendum, only one race here is Columbus only, and that’s a special election for Muscogee Superior Court Clerk between incumbent Shasta Thomas Glover and challenger Danielle Forte. It is at the end of the ballot, after the proposed amendments and referenda.
Georgia voters must show a photo ID such as a driver’s license, a state identification card residents can get at driver’s license bureaus, a U.S. passport, a military or other government employee ID, or a tribal identification card.
The law has one exception to that: Those who by mail registered to vote for the first time may show other documentation to establish residency, including a current utility bill, a bank statement, or a government paycheck or other government document showing the individual’s name and address.
Voters who encounter problems at the polls may request a provisional ballot, which can be counted later if the local elections board determines the voter was eligible.
Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. Tuesday will be allowed to, but the line ends then: No new arrivals may join the end of the line after 7.
Alabama
Georgia’s vitriolic race for governor has drawn the spotlight away from neighboring Alabama, which also is holding elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and state auditor, as well as congressional races such as the 3rd Congressional District contest between Democrat Mallory Hagan and incumbent Republican Mike Rogers.
Russell County has Alabama House races between Democrat Christopher “Apostle” Davis and incumbent Republican Chris Blackshear for District 80, and between Democrat Jeremy “Mr. EYG” Gray and Republican Michael Holden II for District 83.
Also on the ballot is a District 27 state senate race between Democrat Nancy Carlton Bendinger and Republican Tom Whatley, and four statewide constitutional amendments.
In Russell County alone, Republican Pamela Williams is challenging incumbent Democrat Alford Harden Jr. for probate judge, and Republican Roger Newman is taking on incumbent Democrat Arthur “PeeWee” Sumbry Jr. for coroner.
Russell County voting precincts are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central. County residents go by different time zones.
Like Georgia, Alabama requires voters to show a photo ID, and they also may file provisional ballots if they encounter issues at the polls.
This story was originally published November 3, 2018 at 6:15 AM.