Voter turnout light in morning but picked up at precincts in afternoon, official said

As residents went to the polls, managers at most precincts said voter turnout was light in the morning but picked up in the afternoon, an elections official said Tuesday.

“Turnout was light this morning,” Muscogee Board of Elections and Registrations Executive Director Nancy Boren said. “It seemed to have picked up a little in some precincts this afternoon.”

Polls are open until 7 p.m. at all 25 voting precincts for state party primaries and local nonpartisan races. Six candidates are running for Columbus mayor and three each are seeking the Columbus Council citywide Post 10 seat, the council District 7 seat, the District 6 school board seat and the District 2 school board post. If a candidate doesn’t get 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on July 24.

In a sample of numbers at some precincts at 12:30 p.m., Boren said 475 had voted at Psalmond Road Recreation Center, 172 cast ballots at First African Baptist Church, 377 at St. Paul United Methodist Church and 512 at St. Mark United Methodist Church.

Managers reported no lines at the precincts and all machines are working smoothly.

Boren expects a last-minute rush at some polls in the city before they close. “They won’t close right at 7 p.m.,” she said. “We’ll see.”

This story was originally published May 22, 2018 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Voter turnout light in morning but picked up at precincts in afternoon, official said."