Live updates: As polls near closing time, Columbus voters surprised to find short lines
It’s time to cast your ballot yet again, Columbus.
Since no candidate in either of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races received more than 50%-plus one of the vote in November, both went into a runoff. Republican incumbent David Perdue is up against Democrat Jon Ossoff. In the special election, Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler faces Democrat Raphael Warnock.
The Public Commission Service District 4 seat is also in a runoff. That race pits Republican incumbent Lauren “Bubba” McDonald against Columbus native Daniel Blackman.
The Ledger-Enquirer staff will travel around to polls today and provide updates on wait times, technical issues, voter reactions and more. Have trouble voting or want to share some information with us? Email newsroom@ledger-enquirer.com or send us a message on Facebook.
The 25 neighborhood polls around the city opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. But anyone in line at that time is able to vote, so don’t be thrown off by large crowds. A poll worker will stand at the end of the line once polls close and turn any latecomers away.
Voters wanting to double-check their precinct or what’s on the ballot this election cycle can visit the My Voter Page on the Georgia Secretary of State website.
Looking for last-minute resources? Check out some of these links:
- Columbus Elections and Registration Office (Here you can find general information about elections in our area.)
- What Georgia voters need at the polls, plus ideas for passing time in line
- Why am I being asked to fill out a provisional ballot?
Here’s the latest from the polls:
Applause and cheers
Applause and cheers erupted around 5 p.m. at the Britt David precinct in Britt David Baptist Church. The poll workers were celebrating first-time voter Chandler Dean, a senior at Jordan Vocational High School.
“I was kind of embarrassed,” he said. “But it also made me feel good. It made me feel like I’m an adult now.”
Dean turned 18 Nov. 15 — too late to vote in the general election — so he was grateful to have the chance to exercise his right in the runoff.
“I’ve been seeing commercials and everything about it,” he said, “and I’ve been doing a little research.”
Dean wants to become a police officer. That’s why he especially was concerned about this controversial issue during the campaign:
“I’ve seen that Raphael Warnock and (Jon) Ossoff are trying to defund the police,” he said. “So, if I want a good career in the future, I need to vote Republican.”
Regardless of the politics, Dean wanted to participate in democracy.
“Your opinion matters,” he said. “Even if it’s just one vote, I still think you should let your opinion be heard.”
— Mark Rice, mrice@ledger-enquirer.com
Teen voter misses deadline to cast ballot
At one of the largest precincts in Muscogee county, two Democratic poll workers sat guard to make sure everyone was able to vote at Holsey Monumental CME Church, Precinct 116.
“If you have any problems voting or they can’t find your name on the list, let me know and I can help,” said poll watcher Jo-Anne Chashow to each voter.
As each voter exits, Chashow asks if they were able to vote.
In the case of Haleah Sanders, she found that her name wasn’t on the list at the precinct. She turned 18 on December 17 and learned that she missed the December 7 voter registration deadline for the runoff.
“I’m 18, I have so many elections ahead of me but because Georgia is the flip state, my vote could’ve helped,” Sanders said.
Both Chashow and area poll manager Alana Daniels made phone calls to confirm that Sanders had missed the deadline. She wasn’t able to vote this round, but is hopeful for the next election.
Poll workers quickly dismissed rumors of voting fraud in the runoff election.
“We don’t rig in Muscogee...” Daniels said. “We all have the same agenda here, to make sure everyone votes.”
By 3:30 p.m., roughly 350 voters had cast their ballots at Holsey. Typically, this precinct would have seen about 500 voters by this time. It’s a slower Election Day than usual, Daniels said.
Kevin Watts was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no line at Holsey. Having just finished an 8-hour work shift, he was expecting to wait two or three hours in line to vote. Instead, he was in and out of the building in just 10 minutes.
Eight thousand voters are registered to precinct 116, making it one of the larger precincts in Muscogee County, Daniels said.
“All we do is sit here and watch people,” said precinct manager Allen McCoi.
— Adrienne Underwood, aunderwood@ledger-enquirer.com
Election season a ‘marathon’
A disco ball twinkles as poll workers wait inside the church gymnasium at the Faith Tabernacle Community Church. At 2:40 p.m., there’s only been a few voters in the past hour and 244 voters total today.
Poll manager James McClenton, 81, said the longest line today has only been five people long. Otherwise, it’s been a trickle.
He described only one disruption during the day, a voter who wore a politically-affiliated top into the polls. But after some argument, the voter took it off and cast their ballot.
McClenton said an important aspect of the day to him is celebrating first-time voters. While managing a poll during early voting, he said his team clapped when their first ballot was cast.
Don Wellus, 45, is a first-time voter himself, casting his ballot at the Psalmond Road Recreation Center voting precinct. He described a frenzy around this election like none other, even Obama’s 2008 election.
Psalmond Road poll manager Frances Rodgers called this election season a “marathon.” For the first time, early voting ran at her precinct for three weeks and over 3,500 people voted.
Poll watchers were present every day of early voting. “And not just one,” Rodgers said, “but two or three.” To her surprise, none arrived at the polling station today.
The line peaked at 7 a.m. when polls opened at 35 to 40 people waiting. At lunchtime, there was another spike of 20. Besides that, she described a quick process for voters.
“The history here is they vote, and they like to vote on Election Day,” Rodgers said about Psalmond Road residents. At 3:35 p.m, 673 votes were cast.
— Madeleine Cook, mcook@ledger-enquirer.com
‘Perfect time to come’
Seven cars were in the parking lot at First African Baptist, where there was no line at 2:10 p.m. No poll watchers were present, just the one person voting and a few poll workers.
Poll manager Geraldine Rucker expects the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. window to be a busy period with people getting off work. She declined to share the exact number of voters who cast their ballots at the precinct, but said the number is under 100.
Three hundred and fifteen voters have cast their ballots at Columbus Tech as of 2:39 p.m., poll manager Tureka Watts said. There were a few individuals at polling booths, but no line at the precinct.
“Perfect time to come!” one voter said as she left the building. “In and out real quick.”
As of 1:01 p.m., 236 people have voted at Canaan Baptist.
— Joshua Mixon, jmixon@ledger-enquirer.com
‘It’s time for a change’
“You came at a good time,” a poll worker says to greets voters at Edgewood Baptist Church. “There’s no line!”
There hasn’t been much of one all day.
One hundred and eighty-five votes have been cast as of 12:40 p.m., according to first-year poll manager Allena Sperry at the Edgewood Baptist Church polling location.
Only one issue had been reported that morning — a paper jam with a quick fix. Two provisional ballots had been issued because both voters had arrived at the wrong polling station.
Jenna Howell, 33, cast her vote for candidates Warnock and Ossoff because she said “it’s time for a change.” She says low-income communities have been ignored by the Republican candidates.
Poll watcher Stephanie Krusze arrived at the church five minutes before 7 a.m. and has remained since, wanting to ensure things are “running smoothly.”
She represents the Muscogee County Republican Party, and her biggest concern is ensuring that licenses are being checked before voters cast their ballots.
“(Poll workers) check everybody’s ID to make sure they live at that particular address, what is their birthday,” Krusze said.
She said she’s observed nothing illegitimate today, nor while poll watching during the early voting period. But she maintains that the 2020 General Election saw “major fraud” and that’s why she stands vigil today.
— Madeleine Cook, mcook@ledger-enquirer.com
Voting is a family affair
By noon, 277 people had voted at Wynnbrook Baptist Church, and it took most of them only a few minutes to get in-and-out.
“It’s about normal to what the November election felt like,” said poll manager Margaret Higdon, acknowledging early and mail-in voting likely impacted in-person turnout.
Today, she manages a team of 14 poll workers to ensure Columbus residents have an efficient voting experience.
Higdon welcomes the scrutiny the runoff has brought to the Georgia election process. “Maybe this is going to change things, and more people will see the need to vote,” she said.
Delaney Groce, 42, felt the extra pressure on Georgia voters during this runoff too. “Our whole family was texting each other, reminding each other to go vote today,” she said.
As a lifelong Republican, she voted for Loeffler and Perdue.
“I wanted Republicans to win the presidency,” Groce said, “but now this is what I can do to help control the Senate and the House.”
Anna Park and her kids Josie, 8, and William, 6, all walked out of the polling station wearing “I’m a Georgia voter!” stickers. She said it was important her kids see democracy in progress.
“We have family members who fought for this right,” Park said.
— Madeleine Cook, mcook@ledger-enquirer.com
A ‘steady’ but slow day
Nobody was in line, though some individuals were voting, at 8:47 a.m. and the parking lot was nearly empty at Canaan Baptist, a stark contrast to the scene at the precinct during November’s election.
As of 9 a.m., 82 people have voted at Canaan Baptist. For comparison, over 100 people were lined up to vote as polls opened at Canaan Baptist during the November election.
No voters were in line at Epworth United Methodist Church at 9:30 a.m., though two voters arrived around that time. Poll manager Vicki Breasdale said the slow period had just hit since most people likely started their work day. She said between 15 and 20 people were lined up to vote when polls opened at 7 a.m.
One hundred and twenty-seven people have voted at Epworth as of 9 a.m., and Breasdale called the turnout “steady.”
— Joshua Mixon, jmixon@ledger-enquirer.com
Steady traffic
At St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Precinct 120, about 70 people had voted by 8:30 a.m. There was no line outside, but about six people waiting inside a hallway at the church to get in to vote.
Lissa Mummert, the poll manager, said they’ve seen steady voter traffic.
“It’s been busy, we haven’t stopped,” she said.
Mummert said only one provisional ballot had been cast so far. There were two poll watchers inside the precinct observing the voting process.
Resident Beth Leary described the voting experience as smooth. She said she purposely waited to vote until today.
“I always like to vote on the day of the election,” Leary said.
One voter had a medical emergency and an ambulance was called.
— Mike Haskey, mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com
The slowest Election Day
One hundred and forty voters have cast their ballots at Cornerstone Church of God, Precinct 106, as of 8:30 a.m. Few people were in line when the polls opened at 7 a.m.
Assistant poll manager Sandra Hawthorne, who has worked the polls at Cornerstone for eight years, said it’s the slowest Election Day she’s seen at the precinct.
Cornerstone experienced technical difficulties in June, the first time the new voting machines were used. Today, the voting process has been smooth. Though all poll workers at Cornerstone wore masks, about 30% of voters were not wearing masks, and three Cornerstone employees stationed at the entrance were unmasked.
— Adrienne Underwood, aunderwood@ledger-enquirer.com
‘Eager to vote’
The first voter at St. Peter’s Church arrived at 6:30 Tuesday morning. By 7 a.m., a small line of voters had formed.
“We have a very active precinct,” said one poll worker. “Many people have voted in every election.”
17-year-old Macy Cardwell is experiencing the electoral process from behind the poll desk for the first time. She isn’t old enough to vote, but after hearing about this year’s shortage of poll workers she decided to lend a hand. After getting her parents’ permission, she worked her first election in November.
“It’s not as hectic as I expected,” Cardwell said. “People are really nice and eager to vote.”
As of 7:30 a.m., roughly 50 voters had cast their ballots at St. Peter’s. Among them was Mike Dahner, who voted that morning after a night shift at his workplace in LaGrange.
“(The runoff) is more than what we would have hoped for,” Dahner said. “At the end of the day, we just need to get on with what we need to do and address the issues.”
— Adrienne Underwood, aunderwood@ledger-enquirer.com
‘Duty’ to vote
About a dozen voters were in line at 7 a.m. at the Carver precinct in the Columbus Public Library. The fourth one in line wouldn’t provide her last name, but Miko did give a compelling example of the importance of voting.
Miko flew back home from Texas, where she’s been working as a travel nurse amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She arrived at the library around 6:20 a.m.
“I didn’t realize I was going to be in Texas that long,” she said. “We were supposed to be there for two weeks, and we ended up being there much longer, so I didn’t have a chance to get an absentee ballot. … There were some issues getting here with my flight, but I was going to overcome it regardless.”
Miko called it her “duty” to vote.
“I want to help turn Georgia blue,” she said. “… My ancestors fought for the right to vote — Black males and Black females.”
— Mark Rice, mrice@ledger-enquirer.com
Shorter lines early Tuesday
A small number of voters filed in and out at Columbus Tech around 7 a.m. One dog waited in a (running) car as its owner voted.
Poll manager Tureka Watts said she’s not expecting a massive in-person turnout Tuesday, similar to November’s Election Day, citing what’s expected to be a large absentee and early voting turnout. She didn’t have a count at the time — voting numbers will be tallied each hour.
No poll watchers were seen at Columbus Tech.
The first person in line to vote at Holsey Monumental C.M.E. Church was Joe Purter, who arrived at 6:25 a.m. He said he always votes on Election Day, and didn’t have any issues casting his ballot.
“One of the greatest things to do in the world is vote,” he said, adding voting today was important and citing how long it had been since Georgia voted blue. “We’re making a statement to the world to stand and stand together.”
Two Democrat poll watchers were also at the polling place when the doors opened.
About 40 people had voted in Precinct 121 at the Salvation Army building on Warm Springs Road by 8 a.m. Poll workers and voters reported no issues, saying the process was quick, smooth and efficient. About 10 people were in line when the doors opened.
— Mike Haskey, mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com & Joshua Mixon, jmixon@ledger-enquirer.com
With Trump’s loss, keeping the Senate a priority for some Republicans
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (440 Reese Road) saw an increase in Election Day voting compared to November with more than an hour before polls closed.
Poll manager Janie Nellums said 688 people had cast their ballots as of 5:30 p.m. as the after-work crowd and last-minute voters pulled their cars into parking places outside. Lines didn’t overwhelm staff and any minor issues were handled by staff, Nellums added.
Jenn Wampler, a 40-year-old Columbus resident who voted Tuesday afternoon, cast her ballot for Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Georgia’s twin Senate runoffs.
She voted in person because she wasn’t sure her ballot would come in the mail. She said she heard stories from “so many people” whose ballot never came. Others, she said, went to the polls on Election Day to find that their ballots had already been cast for them.
“Obviously now losing the presidency, I thought it was very important to see if we could keep the Senate,” she said.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 7:38 AM.