Richmond County Prepping For A Record Voter Turnout

Augusta, GA—It was not getting out the vote it was getting out the voting machines.

Some of the city’s nearly 500 touch screen machines were being set up at the Jamestown Community Center.

Sammie Sias of the neighborhood association was there when the workers arrived. He helped in the set up and expects these machines will get a work out Tuesday. “We are really expecting a 90 percent turnout here in our area if not more,” he said.

Augusta’s Election Director Lynn Bailey is not predicting a ninety percent turnout but she says it’s going to be big.

“We’re expecting an 80 to 85 percent turnout out here in Richmond County that translates to 80 to 85 thousand people casting a ballot all together, she said.

But thanks to early and absentee voting about 40 thousand of those ballots are already in the box. 

So those voters will not be showing up at the polls.

But election officials say voters should expect lines and waits.

“We still have 45, to 50 thousand voters out there who we may see at the polls tomorrow,” said Bailey.

Hundreds of those voters will be coming to the Jamestown Community Center, to cast their ballots but if they haven’t turn out in a while they may not recognize the place.

It’s being expanded with a new addition.

But even with the construction, the Jamestown Community Center is not sitting this election out.

“We’ve had people come in yesterday the day before yesterday making sure this is the right place is it going to be open we’ve been assuring people all along so that shows the magnificent interest,” says Sias.

Voters have already shown a magnificent interest, setting records for advance voting, and Election Day should be one for the books in Augusta.

Polls open at seven AM and one key piece of advice from Bailey is voters should do their homework and check over the ballot.

As well have their photo ID ready when they walk in.