With election day tomorrow, early voting turnout has been low in Athens-Clarke County.
As of Monday morning, 5,445 people, or about 6.6% of the county’s registered voters had voted early. That includes about 600 absentee ballots. In previous local and primary elections, turnout in Athens-Clarke County has surpassed 20,000 voters.
One thing this year’s primary and local election lacks compared to previous years is a marquee race to drive turnout. In 2022, when Clarke County voters saw a hotly contested mayoral race and primary elections for many statewide offices, over 21,000 people turned out. In 2020, when local elections shared the ballot with the presidential primary, more than 24,000 people voted.
In neighboring Oconee County, about 10% of the county's registered voters voted early.
What's on the ballot?
In Clarke County:
- Three contested seats on the Athens-Clarke County Commission (Districts 2, 6, and 8).
- One seat on the Clarke County Board of Education.
- Contested open seat races for Sheriff, Tax Commissioner and County Coroner.
In Oconee County:
- Contested races for County Commission Chair and County Commission, Post 4.
- Three contested races for Oconee County Board of Education (Posts 1, 4, and 5).
- Ten connected local ballot questions that would revamp how the county handles property taxes.
Other races:
- A Democratic primary race for US House in District 10.
- Republican primaries in State Senate District 47 and State House District 121.
- A non-partisan election for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court.
