Let’s hear your reports from the field

by GAWire on July 18, 2006

This isn’t a post to debate candidates. 

I want to know what you are hearing and seeing out there.  Give us your reports about your polling places … low/heavy turnout?  More men/women?  Elderly voters?  What are was it?  Signs?  Supporters?  What are your friends/family/coworkers, etc saying?

From around the state, report in!

{ 59 comments }

Redbird July 18, 2006 at 5:36 pm

I voted in Alpharetta at about 1:00pm. I was the only voter in the auditoium. We have a local Alpharetta City Council race so I was expecting a bigger turnout. Very sad.

GAWire July 18, 2006 at 5:48 pm

What has Handel’s turnout been like around the state? If I were to judge only by metro Atl area, I’d say she has this won in a heartbeat, but I’m curious what support was like around the state in SoS.

Decaturguy July 18, 2006 at 5:51 pm

“One of my buddies is a store manager for Abercrombie and Fitch and he took all the models from the store and stuck them on the side of the road with Bob Greer signs all morning and then took the aesthetic troop to polls as well.”

Now why couldn’t that have happened at my precinct?

Jeff Emanuel July 18, 2006 at 5:59 pm

scs00, nice post. I often feel like the only Republican in Athens-Clarke.

Caitlin, good point, but the east side of Athens (especially SE near Watkinsville) is more Republican/conservative than most of the rest of the city. Overall, with 101,000 people in Clarke county, right at 17,000 are registered to vote — and turnout for GENERAL elections is often in the 30-40% range of THAT.

Athens-Clarke does have a disproportionately high black population, and is overwhelmingly — OVERWHELMINGLY — liberal Democrat. For example, the state house race this fall will be won by the Democrat by at least 20 points; the closest race in memory was 2004, when Jane Kidd beat Bill Cowsert by 11.

The University isn’t low on blacks, as you seem to be saying; rather, the attendance is just about equal to (or a little higher than) the African-American percentage of the population. However, it does seem low (and affluent) once one breaks out of the “University bubble” to find a county which is 27% AA, led by 100% Democrats, and is 5th in the nation in persistent poverty. Are the last 2 related? Hmmmmm……

GrandOleDawg July 18, 2006 at 6:18 pm

From the field in Athens…..

As of 3:30 today, turnout was thru the floor. Turnout at the largest precinct in town was at 11% overall. I know its early, but I the poll worker’s said that that precinct doesn’t normally get that usual late afternoon push. The most Republican precinct in Clarke County (51.3% Bush in ‘04) was still in double digits for the GOP side of the primary, same for another precinct of similar size but slightly more blue. Trying hard to get numbers for the one other precinct that went “red” in ‘04, but with no luck. I’ll probably swing by there on my way to Buckhead.

Low numbers all round, even for a primary.

Pretty low numbers there. Even for a primary.

duluthmom July 18, 2006 at 6:27 pm

Bowersville-

I think my polling place was an anomaly with the 200 by 11 am. It includes Reed’s neighborhood and his wife sent out a personal email via the Women’s Club urging us to vote early followed up by a second email through the same channel from a big Reed supporter today.

Ironically, it worked and got my husband to the polls; although it galvanized him to vote against Reed. (I was already a Cagle supporter.)

GrandOleDawg July 18, 2006 at 6:35 pm

Apologies for the redundency in the above post.

And while I’m typing….

I’m a little surprised turnout isn’t a little bigger ’round here for the Republican side. Brian Kemp has a lot of support in these parts (being his senate district) and I figured he would drive people to the polls. If anything, I expected turnout to be a little up here (relative to normal, low primary turnout)

Caitlin July 18, 2006 at 7:07 pm

It’s news to me that Athens is led by 100% Democrats, what with Norwood and Burns (until Barrow in 2004) and Kemp. And I hardly think it’s fair to lay the poverty problems in Athens at the feet of GA’s Democratic party since the poverty is in direct correlation to the unemployment rate in Athens, which is the highest in GA last I heard. And the jobs that are available are generally low-paying, service industry jobs. That’s changing though, as Athens experiences more and more growth.

*shrug*

Good point GrandOleDawg, about Kemp. I’m thinking Gary Black will take it in the end, but I’m sure Kemp will win Athens. His name has been positively everywhere.

Redbird July 18, 2006 at 7:14 pm

I just heard on tv that Cindy Sheehan is in town to speak at Cynthia McKinney’s campaign victory celebration. lol

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