Richmond County voters are setting records and near-records for early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.
As of midnight, 10,991 had voted advance in-person in Richmond County. That’s 8.8% of registered voters who joined a record 389,506 early voters statewide.
Monday, Richmond County set an advance voting daily record, with 5,924 casting ballots, said Travis Doss, executive director for Richmond County Board of Elections. The prior record was 5,489, from the last day of advance voting in the 2016 presidential election, Doss said.
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Sunday, the first day of early voting in Richmond County, became the second-highest day with 5,067 voting early, he said.
“People love coming on that first day, and they’re willing to wait in line” to vote, Doss said.
The heavy turnout in Democratic-leaning counties such as Richmond looks good for Warnock. Republican voters are less likely to vote early.
On the first day of advance in-person voting in Columbia County, Monday, 3,674 cast ballots, said Nancy Gay, executive director of elections there.
That’s about 3.5% of registered voters in the Republican-leaning county. Columbia favored Walker with 62% of the vote in the general election.
Sunday voting in Richmond County also favored Warnock in data disseminated by the Georgia Secretary of State.
Augusta Districts 4 and 6 had the most early voters, with 840 each, followed by 818 in District 5.
Turnout has been highest at the Robert Howard Community Center early voting site at Diamond Lakes Regional Park. It had a two-day total of 3,101 at the end of the second day.
Among districts with more Republican voters, District 3 had 717 voters Sunday, while District 7 saw 459. In District 2, which has a school board runoff between incumbent Charlie Hannah and the Rev. Larry Fryer, 423 cast ballots Sunday.
Monday was also the first day of advance voting in the Dec. 20 House District 129 special primary, which votes only at Augusta Municipal Building.
WHERE TO VOTE
Richmond County voters may cast early ballots at any of four sites through Friday. The locations, open from open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., are:
- Linda Beazley Community Room, Augusta Municipal building, 535 Telfair St.
- Robert Howard Community Center, Diamond Lakes Regional Park, 103 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah
- Henry Brigham Senior Center, 2463 Golden Camp Road
- Warren Road Recreation Center, 300 Warren Road
In Columbia County, locations open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday are:
- Building G3, Evans Government Complex, 610 Ronald Reagan Dr., Evans
- Former Euchee Creek Library, 5907 Euchee Creek Dr., Grovetown.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
