The polling rooms in Habersham’s North and South precincts remained empty on Tuesday afternoon. The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) Special Primary Runoff has seen a limited turnout; less than one percent of Georgians have voted as of July 14.
In Habersham, the number of voters is also less than one percent.
“We’ve had about 87 voters in the advance voting plus the absentee by mail,” said Senior Elections Assistant Derek LaPerriere. “Now we’re closing in on about 50 on election day.”
LaPerriere was uncertain if the voter count would reach 100 by the time the polls closed, but he said he was “remaining hopeful.”
White County reported similarly dismal numbers with 62 voters, and Banks County reported 11 voters in early and absentee voting.
According to the Secretary of State’s election website, across Northeast Georgia, the lowest early turnout was in Franklin County, where only seven people—less than one-tenth of a percentage point—of that county’s active registered voters cast ballots. And the highest regional turnout was in Clarke County, where 562, or 0.8%, of the county’s active voters cast ballots ahead of the July 15 runoff.
Publicizing elections
For future special elections, LaPerriere wants the department to further utilize social media to spread awareness.
“We do have Facebook, we have the website, we have a lot of outward facing media that we’re hoping to continue to grow,” he said. “We like working with the media and getting information out, but ultimately it comes down to what the voters want to vote on.”
Keisha Waites, a former Atlanta City Councilwoman and ex-state representative, joins Peter Hubbard, a clean energy advocate, on Tuesday’s ballot. Waites was the frontrunner in the special primary election with a 16,110-vote advantage over Hubbard. Waites was just shy of the 50% vote threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
The runoff winner will face GOP incumbent Commissioner Fitz Johnson in November’s general election. Johnson was appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2021.
Registered Georgia voters who did not cast Republican ballots in the June 17 primary are eligible to vote Tuesday through 7 p.m. Registration and polling place information can be checked at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
