Turnout Light As Voters Head To Polls In Georgia Runoffs

Polling precincts around Georgia have closed after reporting a light turnout and few problems. Thousands of Georgia voters cast their ballots to decide the runoff between U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

AP
Published: December 2, 2008

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ATLANTA (AP) - Polling precincts around Georgia have closed after reporting a light turnout and few problems. Thousands of Georgia voters cast their ballots to decide the runoff between U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

The runoff was forced when Chambliss fell short of crossing the 50 percent threshold in a three-way race with Martin and a Libertarian candidate.

A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted turnout would be between 18 and 20 percent. That is far less than the 65 percent who voted in last month’s general election.

Chambliss and Martin each spent much of the day with family. They are scheduled to attend rallies with supporters after watching early returns.

Georgia’s last Senate runoff in 1992 attracted about 1.2 million voters, or roughly half the turnout in that year’s general election.

Some 3.7 million people cast ballots in this year’s general election. Both sides have tried to keep voters’ attention with a barrage of ads and visits by big-name politicians, including former President Bill Clinton and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.