A higher than expected early voter turnout in Habersham County means Election Day voters may see shorter lines at the polls.
Three weeks of early voting ended Friday. When the polls closed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4th, 12,836 of Habersham County’s active registered voters – nearly 63% – had already voted either in-person or by absentee ballot.
“This election has shown a lot of interest and is proving to be a little higher interest, so far, than the 2008 General Election,” says Election Supervisor Laurel Ellison. She should know. She’s been Habersham County’s Election Supervisor since 2011 and its Chief Registrar since 1998. In that time she’s overseen numerous elections, including five presidential elections. “I had expected at least as high an early voter turnout as the 2008 General Election and it has exceeded that number by approximately 2,000 or so,” Ellison says.
Early voting by the numbers
According to figures released by the county elections office, 1,072 absentee ballots were issued and 876 have been returned so far. There were 6,955 ballots cast at the elections office, 2,816 at the Habersham North Precinct (Ruby C. Fulbright Aquatic Center) and 2,189 cast at Habersham South Precinct (First Baptist Church of Cornelia).
What to expect on Election Day
Given the high early turnout, Ellison projects lines at the polls tomorrow will be “minimal” with the longest wait times expected at 7 a.m. as people head to work and between 4-5 p.m. as they return home.
If you’re planning to vote Tuesday make sure you go to your assigned precinct and have your ID with you. Acceptable forms of ID include a Georgia driver’s license, even if it’s expired; a state-issued voter identification card; valid U.S. passport; or a valid U.S. military photo ID.
The following polling precincts will be open tomorrow:
If you’re unsure of where your assigned precinct is located, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter page or call the County Elections & Registration Office at 706-839-0170.
Absentee ballots must be received in the elections office by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Military and provisional voters have until 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14th to turn in their ballots.
Polls are open tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 8th, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Now Habersham will bring you election results here on nowhabersham.com and on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nowhabersham/.
