As voters went to the polls Tuesday, Jan. 3, to elect Georgia’s next 7th District House Representative, less than 3,000 early ballots had already been cast in the three District 7 counties of Gilmer, Fannin and Dawson (where only one precinct is in the district).
The breakdown of that early voting total for the special election is Gilmer: 1,299, Fannin: 1,602 and Dawson: 73.
Those numbers include in-person early voting and absentee ballots that had been accepted up to Friday, Dec. 30, the end of the early voting period.
Early voting began Dec. 12, but was not held on two weekdays due to Christmas holidays. In Gilmer County, an additional day of early voting was lost when the entire courthouse closed Tuesday, Dec. 27, due to hazardous road conditions around the county.
Voters had one more chance to choose the successor to late State House Rep. David Ralston on Election Day. The Times-Courier went to press before the polls closed.
Five Republican candidates -— Johnny Chastain, Justin Heitman, Brian Pritchard, Sheree Ralston and Richie Stone — appeared on the special election ballot.