Georgia’s runoff may cost $100 for each voter

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    In Miller County, Georgia, Election Supervisor Jerry Calhoun is apprehensive about the Democratic primary runoff participation, as initial signs point to potentially negligible voter turnout. The concern stems from the staggeringly low number of votes cast in the June 17 Democratic primary for the state Public Service Commission. During this earlier election, candidates Keisha Waites, Peter Hubbard, and Robert Jones collectively received just one vote. Additionally, two other Democratic ballots were discarded, likely due to votes for Daniel Blackman, who had been disqualified prior to the election. On the Republican side, turnout was modest, with 40 votes counted, resulting in Commissioner Tim Echols defeating his challenger, Lee Muns.

    Calhoun voiced his concerns about the upcoming July 15 runoff between Waites and Hubbard, acknowledging his inability to influence the outcome. Statewide, voter turnout for the June 17 primary was exceedingly low, with only 2.8% of Georgia’s 7.4 million active registered voters participating. Moreover, over 15,000 votes potentially cast for Blackman were not included in the final tally. Experts believe the Democratic runoff might attract less than 1% of voters statewide, even as counties may invest approximately $10 million in conducting the election. This expenditure could translate to a cost of more than $100 per vote.

    Critics of Georgia’s electoral runoff system argue that the expenditures reflect money wasted, as decisions are predominantly influenced by few voters. “It’s a terrible waste of resources,” said Saira Draper, a Democratic state representative from Atlanta, voicing her discontent. Meanwhile, key Republicans resist adopting alternative voting methods, such as allowing a candidate to win without a majority or implementing ranked choice voting to determine a winner. Some Republican-led counties are minimizing the number of polling stations for the runoff, taking advantage of a state law that permits such a reduction when turnout is below a threshold in the initial primary.

    Georgia remains one of nine states requiring runoffs if no candidate achieves a majority victory in both primary and general elections, sharing this system uniquely with Mississippi. The origins of this runoff system have historical roots partly aimed at hindering Black candidates’ electoral success, giving white voters an opportunity to consolidate their preferences around a single candidate. In 1995, the Georgia threshold to avoid a runoff was lowered to 45%, but Republicans reinstated the majority requirement after a GOP loss in a 1996 Senate race. Draper reintroduced a bill in 2023 to reinstate the 45% threshold yet found the proposal stagnating.

    Former Republican state representative Scot Turner advocates for ranked choice voting, arguing that it could broaden electoral participation and ensure a majority vote, all while being cost-effective. “It’s a tweak of our existing system that maximizes turnout and lowers cost,” he stated. Turner also pointed out that turnout typically diminishes during runoffs, leading to voter disenfranchisement. Georgia presently employs ranked-choice voting for military and overseas ballots, though many Republicans oppose broader implementation, with the Georgia Senate proposing bills to prohibit its extension.

    Pragmatically, certain counties now opt to limit polling locations for the runoff, justified under state law when primary turnout falls below 1% of registered voters. This strategy affects predominantly Republican counties, with some rural areas like Miller County already maintaining a single voting precinct. Cherokee County, home to nearly 208,000 active voters, recently announced plans to open just one polling place after fewer than 2,000 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary. This move, aimed at halving expenses, promises savings of approximately $70,000 according to Elections Director Anne Dover. Potentially, up to 20 counties across the state might adopt this cost-saving measure, as indicated by Travis Doss, president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials.