Richmond County locals showed out for Election Day to vote in the Georgia May primary on Tuesday, May 21.
After identifying themselves as Republican, Democrat or nonpartisan, citizens were asked to vote on different issues and elections.
For example, Republicans could not vote for Richmond County’s next sheriff and district attorney. However, all were asked to vote for or against giving Augusta’s mayor a vote on all future commission decisions.
MORE: Citizens give Augusta mayor vote on commission
Rita Hamilton, voting manager of Precinct #302, located at the Friedman Branch Library, said she had been volunteering to help run polls for 25 years, and enjoyed it every year.
“It’s amazing when you see a new person come in and they have no idea how any of the equipment works,” she said.
With many voters growing up on the more “old fashioned” equipment, Hamilton said she understood why there was a lot of stress on keeping elections fair, which is why she always makes sure to “run a tight ship.”
“I have a lot of suspicions against the newer equipment, in my personal opinion, and voter integrity is very much on a lot of people’s minds,” she said. “Here, we feel like there’s not a lot of problems … and there’s no issues with voters at all.”
At precinct #302, voter Cori Morgan said she uncharacteristically registered as a Republican and did not like how the ballots were regularly separated.
“I normally register as a Republican even though I think I’m somewhere in the middle,” she said. “… but my wife said there weren’t a lot of issues on the democratic ballot, but there were a lot of things to vote for on the republican one.”
To Morgan, voters’ choices on various issues and elections should be combined into one ballot, so all may have a say in nonpartisan matters.
“I feel like the ballot was bigger because I voted as a Republican,” she said. “I don’t know that I like that. To me, a lot of them weren’t even partisan issues, and one of them seemed worded a certain way to make you vote a certain way as well – so I purposefully voted the other way.”
Voting against giving Mayor Garnett Johnson a commissioner vote, Morgan said she did not think the Augusta charter needed to change and differentiate itself from other city charters, unless it was to break decision ties.
“I did a little Googling, and I found out that most cities, a lot of cities, don’t allow the mayor to vote, but if they had worded it to maybe break a tie, I probably would’ve said yes,” she said.
Not having any particularly favorite candidates running in the elections, voter Nicole Smalls at precinct #302 said mostly wanted to cast her vote in support of better county commissioners.
“I’m not comfortable with most of the candidates, but I am voting for commissioners because I want to make sure that our area gets the things that we need, and we’re adding people that have our best interest at heart,” she said.
As a local teacher, Smalls said she hoped the election would cause the county’s taxes and budget to positively affect the school system, as she believes multiple are being closed due to a lack of funding.
“I’m hoping that just gets better with the next school year plan that they have for us,” she said.
As fellow citizens across the state continued to show up to the polls, several said they voted for someone they feel will change Richmond County for the better.
Voter Rai Black, who voted at precinct #208, located at the Mann Mize United Methodist Church, said she voted for Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley because she believes he will better the community.
Living in a quiet neighborhood that is often targeted by car thefts, Black said she knew Brantley would put more effort into hiring additional personnel to lower crime rate.
“He said he would definitely put more officers on the streets once they get the staff up,” she said. “… there really needs to be more patrolling, because in this district I go days without seeing an officer. I don’t see my sheriff at all.”
With Brantley possibly in office, Black said she ultimately wants to have a more open and communicative sheriff who listens to the community.
For Augusta Commission District 1, Black said she was not totally decided on who she believed deserved to win, but she did know who should not.
“I haven’t seen much work from Mrs. [Jo’Rae] Jenkins, so I cannot vote for her,” she said. “I just feel like my district needs so much more right now, and I just don’t see the effort. I wish I did.”
However, fellow precinct #208 voter Karen Hicks, who identifies as a Democratic, said she disagreed with changing the county’s police leader, as she voted to keep Sheriff Richard Roundtree in office.
“I got him in office the first time, and he’s pretty good. He doesn’t play and he doesn’t take no mess,” she said. “If something happens and he can’t find a person, he’s going for their momma, and then he’ll get that person.”
While Hicks showed up to the polls to maintain those currently in power, Eric Evans, who voted with his entire family at precinct #208, said he and his children were primarily voting because it is a hard earned right.
“We’ve been taking them since before they were 18, so they know from the history books and from us what it meant, because not all countries have that,” he said.
A personal friend of Augusta’s mayor, Evans said he voted to give Johnson a vote in the county’s commission, because he believes the head government figure of the city should have an equal say in decisions.
“I know the mayor personally. We’re childhood friends, and he’s a good guy,” he said. “But, even if it wasn’t him, I think the mayor having a platform – just like the president – could help situations.”
With polls open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., voters took turns casting their votes and said they were excited to see the results at 10 p.m. the same day.
To view Richmond County election results, visit: https://www.augustaga.gov/605/Election-Results
