As of Feb. 22, Whitfield County Registrar Shaynee Bryson said that 415 residents had voted in-person as part of the advance voting period for Georgia’s March 24 presidential preference primary elections.
At the time, the total number of ballots cast at the Whitfield County Courthouse totaled 369 for the Republican presidential primary and 46 for the Democratic presidential primary.
At the end of Thursday, the local elections office had accepted 66 absentee-by-mail ballots.
During the first week of advance voting, Bryson said there were no notable wait times for voters.
“The use of poll pads for advanced voting has significantly increased the speed and efficiency with which we can process voters at check-in,” she said. “The voters we have encountered have expressed their satisfaction with the ease and speed of the check-in process, as well as the short wait times that result from the use of these poll pads.”
At this point, Bryson said it’s difficult to compare and contrast the voting turnout so far compared to the turnout for 2020.
“2020 was a very unique year, as the presidential preference primary that year was halted, statewide, after two weeks of advanced in-person voting,” she said, “and then later combined with the May general primary.”
Bryson said she expects a large turnout for elections throughout the 2024 cycle.
“We do not have any specific numbers that we have considered, but we always prepare as if we will experience the highest turnout possible,” she added.
With several local elected positions on the ballot, Bryson said she also anticipates the May 21 general primary elections will generate a larger turnout than that of the presidential preference primaries.
“The May general primary will also include the Whitfield County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax question and multiple federal and state-level elected positions,” she said. “The city of Tunnel Hill has also included a ‘Sunday sales by the drink’ question for their eligible voters.”
That so many local races are contested by multiple candidates, Bryson said, bodes well for greater turnout numbers this spring — “as the candidates campaign and rally voters to show up to vote.”
Heading into March, Bryson said the elections office is fully staffed.
“We have been extremely fortunate to have a high influx of people interested in being a poll worker,” she said. “We are still accepting applications for elections further into 2024-25.”
In particular, Bryson singled out staff member Gina Rogers for her efforts in recruiting more poll workers in Whitfield.
“She had made major headway in our poll worker recruitment, having fully staffed each Election Day precinct, assembling a team of advanced voting poll workers, collecting names for the absentee team and having a list of backup poll workers,” she said. “At the end of the day, poll workers are citizens of the county and events can happen which causes them to not be able to work on a specific Election Day. Thankfully, this circumstance is not as prevalent as it was in 2020, but it does still occur occasionally.”
That, she continued, makes having a deep roster of backup poll workers available essential for successful elections throughout the county.
Bryson said the office continues to partner with local groups and organizations to not only recruit more poll worker personnel but spread the word about elections going on in Whitfield.
“We have already contacted the local League of Women Voters and Dalton State College in our earlier effort of poll worker recruitment,” she said. “If any local organizations would like to reach out to us, we would be happy to provide them with any information they need.”