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Voting begins late
Ballot features clerk of court, some state posts
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CONTACT

For questions about the runoff or early voting, call (706) 344-3640.

  

NEXT WEEK

To ensure complete election coverage, the DCN will publish on Thursday next week.

  

ONLINE

For election results Tuesday night, visit dawsonnews.com.

Due to a recount request at the state level, advance voting for Dawson County residents was delayed for several hours on Monday.

  

The recount was for the Democratic nomination for state commissioner of labor.

  

Those looking to cast their early ballot for the Aug. 10 runoff had to wait until 2 p.m. Monday, according to Glenda Ferguson, chairwoman of the board of elections and registration.

  

Advanced voting was originally scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Monday.

  

Ferguson said the state notified the local voting office of the recount request last week.

  

Because of the recount, she said, there was “a delay in printing and receiving the ballots.”

  

As of Monday morning, elections and registrations office employees were testing ballots they had received.

  

“We’re trying to get them tested so we can get going,” she said. “We’ve always been told that until you’ve tested the ballot ... you couldn’t have voting.”

  

She said that a “steady flow of people” were turned away from the polls Monday morning due to the delay.

  

“For the most part, everybody’s been very understanding, and we’re just trying to get it done now,” she said.

  

The statewide recount confirmed the results of July 20, with Democrat Darryl Hicks edging Terry Coleman for the party’s nomination.

  

Hicks advances to face Republican Mark Butler in the Nov. 2 general election.

  

Early voting for the Aug. 10 runoff election is scheduled to continue in Dawson County through 5 p.m. Friday.

  

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

  

The local focus in the runoff is on the race for Dawson County clerk of court.

  

Justin Power and Gaye Cantrell advanced to the runoff from a field of 10 hopefuls July 20.

  

The winner will succeed Becky McCord, who resigned in March amid a criminal investigation into missing funds from the clerk’s office. 

  

On the Republican side, the ballot also features the following statewide contests for the party’s nomination: Nathan Deal and Karen Handel for governor; Sam Olens and Preston W. Smith for attorney general; and Ralph Hudgens and Maria Sheffield for commissioner of insurance and safety fire.

  

Tom Graves and Lee Hawkins are also on the Republican ballot in a runoff for the U.S. District 9 House. It is their fourth meeting this year.

  

The two faced off in a June runoff from the May special election for the seat vacated by Deal.

  

Graves won the runoff and is serving out the remainder of the term, which ends this year. The winner of the Aug. 10 runoff will go on to serve a full term beginning January.

  

Democrats have fewer state options in the runoff.

  

Only the secretary of state’s contest between Gail Buckner and Georganna Sinkfield is on their ballot.

  

Any registered voter can participate in the runoff election, regardless of whether they voted during the primary.

  

However, if they voted Republican in the primary, they can only vote Republican in the runoff and likewise for Democrats.

  

Those who didn’t participate in the primary can choose either party.

   

Jennifer Sami of the DCN regional staff contributed to this report.