Update to an earlier report: This article includes new information about a story we previously covered. Read our earlier report.
Chatham County’s unofficial voter turnout was 53%, with more than 112,450 people casting ballots, Board of Elections Interim Director Billy Wooten said Wednesday. He called the turnout average for the county, although he had expected it to be closer to 60% with the governor’s race and a U.S. Senate race on the ballot.
The Wednesday figures counted about 45,100 Election Day voters, more than 62,750 advance voters and 4,580 mail-in absentee voters. Provisional ballots had not yet been included. Wooten said early voting produced about 15,000 more ballots than in the previous midterm election.
Wooten said five election monitors were in Chatham County on Wednesday. He had earlier estimated that six to 10 monitors might move among county polling places. He described few incidents requiring poll staff to ask voters, poll watchers or observers to stop or calm down. Monitors visited a small number of the county’s more than 80 polling places, he said, including locations in Port Wentworth.
Unofficial totals in selected races
Figures available after noon Wednesday, Nov. 4, are preliminary and will be reviewed. In the U.S. Senate race, Jon Ossoff (I)(D) received 75,230 votes in Chatham County and Mike Collins (R) received 36,600.
For secretary of state, Penny Brown Reynolds (D) received 71,506 votes and Tim Fleming (R) received 39,866. In the attorney general’s race, Tanya Miller (D) received 71,395 and Brian Strickland (R) received 40,142.
For commissioner of agriculture, Katherine E. Juhan-Arnold (D) received 69,235 votes and Tyler Harper (I)(R) received 41,867. In U.S. House District 1, Amanda Hollowell (D) received 72,216 and Jim Kingston (R) received 39,236.
In State House District 161, David Dillie (D) received 7,023 votes and Bill Hitchens (R) received 2,625.
Certification steps remain
Wooten said the board will reconcile and consolidate its reports for the state, then work with the local board on ballot certification. He said the board is waiting to see whether candidates challenge results, which could delay the release of official results.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
