The Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections reports that as of early afternoon today, over 5,000 people have cast ballots during the early voting period that ends today. This represents a substantial increase in early voting compared to primaries in previous years.
In 2016, over 5,000 people voted in the primary, and it is possible that early voters in the 2018 primary might exceed total turnout in the 2016 primary. In 2014, the last time the mayor and commission races were on the primary ballot, about 3000 people voted early.
The Board of Elections hopes that total countywide turnout for the primary will account for roughly 25% of registered voters.
Early voting continues through the close of Friday evening. The primary will be held on Tuesday, May 22; WUGA will provide extensive coverage of the elections with updates throughout Tuesday night, beginning at 7PM.
