Primary Election Day in the Augusta area has concluded. Voters have decided who goes on the November ballot, though many elections were decided today as races can be nonpartisan.
Some notable local offices up for grabs are the Richmond County sheriff, Georgia House District 131 representative, and U.S. House District 12 representative. This was also election day for several nonpartisan races including half of the Augusta Commission and a judge's seat on the Superior Court of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.
Voters also had some important questions to answer, including whether or not the Augusta mayor should get an equal vote to the Augusta Commission.
This story will be updated regularly throughout the day. Check for the latest.
Polls closed, but Election Day is not over | 7:09 p.m.
Polls across Georgia closed at 7 p.m. However, anyone who was in line as of 7 was still able to cast their vote. You can now watch as the votes are tabulated on the Augusta Chronicle's online 2024 Election Results page. It will be updated live, so stay tuned.
Father-son time sustained | 6:14 p.m.
Jalen Saunders, 29, got an up-close look at running for office as he stood outside the First Baptist Church poll holding up a sign for his father, Judge Willie Saunders.
"When you're looking at what Augusta needs, we're in a place of change for the city," Jalen Saunders said. "I think my dad brings eight years of experience. He brings a person who is humble. He knows the law, and someone who is willing to give everyone a fair shot. I think that's attributed to having four kids. We didn't make it easy for him."
While Judge Saunders is disappointed he hasn't seen more voters, he said his son has been doing a great job, and the two were smiling and laughing together as they campaigned.
Inside First Baptist, it's been fairly steady and the parking lot has a healthy supply of cars. According to Poll Officer Bonita Wright, the turnout really started to pick up after 3 p.m. She went on to say that it's been pretty calm and, while they had a couple technical difficulties earlier in the day, they were quickly resolved.
- Miguel Legoas
Campaign heats up | 5:15 p.m.
As she stood in a shady spot near the poll at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Augusta Commission candidate Tina Slendak said as hot as it's been today, she's feeling pretty good about her chances. Nevertheless, after being out since the polls opened at 7 a.m., she's ready to wrap it up.
Slendak is facing off against Marshall Bedder for Sean Frantom's District 7 seat on the commission. Earlier in the day, Frantom threw his support behind Slendak. She said the commissioner's continued help has been a game changer.
"I can promise you that I'm going to give all of my time to this," Slendak said. "I'm going to look out fiscally and try to get some accountability down there, making sure the money is being spent right."
- Miguel Legoas
Judging the competition | 4:12 p.m.
Austin Himschoot let his sign do the talking on Washington Road near the Augusta National Golf Club. If anyone slowed down long enough, he could make his pitch for who he said should become the Augusta Judicial Circuit's next superior court judge: current Juvenile Court Chief Judge Willie Saunders.
"He's just a God-fearing man. He's been in the judicial circuit for a long time. He's done such good stuff in the community, especially with the children," Himschoot said. "I don't think there's a better person to be on the superior court than Willie Saunders."
Saunders faces Charles Lyons and Matt Matson in the nonpartisan race to fill the seat on the bench formerly held by the retiring Danny Craig.
National Hills poll worker hoping to hit 400 voters | 3:15 p.m.
Poll worker Harry Hess worked on advance voting for the past three weeks. "It was really slow until the last Friday when everybody was having to show up," he said.
Today at the pollng place has been "great," he said, with about 35 voters an hour coming in.
"At the end of the day we'll end up with about 400 hopefully," Hess said. "Which is terrible percentage-wise."
Taxi driver William Fields confidently filled out his Republican ballot, but "I really wish I could've voted for sheriff," he said.
With no Republicans running for the post, the de facto election for sheriff could be settled Tuesday night if one of the three Democratic candidates wins outright. Incumbent Richard Roundtree is facing challengers Eugene "Gino Rock" Brantley and Bo Johnson.
− Joe Hotchkiss
State House race a family affair | 2:21 p.m.
Steve Longcrier stood on River Watch between the intersections of Old Evans Road and Columbia Industrial Boulevard, waving a sign encouraging drivers to cast their votes for one of his nephews, Rob Clifton, for the District 131 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.
"There's no presidential race or governor or Senate or anything like that," Longcrier said. "This is the big race."
Clifton is one of five Republicans competing for the seat held formerly by Jodi Lott, making a runoff likely and an outright election-night winner less likely.
"I was at Grace Baptist, which I understand is the largest precinct in this district, this morning," Longcrier said. "I voted about 10:30 or 11, and I think in the two machines that count them, there were less than 170 votes."
− Joe Hotchkiss
Candidate pays locals to campaign at the polls | 2 p.m.
While many campaigners stationed at the polls said they have personal ties to the candidates they are endorsing, others are simply paid to hold a sign and create visibility.
Wendy Davis, who was sitting across the street from the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church polling location at 1260 Wrightsboro Rd. campaigning for Richmond County sheriff challenger Eugene "Gino Rock" Brantley, said she didn’t know who she would be campaigning for until this morning.
"This is my first time doing it and honestly, I did it for the money. I’m just keeping it real," Davis said. "When I got there this morning, the lady who signed me up to do it just gave me a sign. I don’t know anything about [Brantley]. … When I heard I could make an easy couple bucks, I thought, I could use some money."
Davis said she was paid $125 for the day and was slated to work until 7 p.m.
She said the organizers don’t instruct campaigners on what to say, just to hold the sign up.
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church sees large turnout | 1:45 p.m.
As of 1 p.m., the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church polling location at 1260 Wrightsboro Rd. had 96 voters cast their ballots, a large jump from the March elections.
Poll manager Amelia Moore said the busiest times at their location are 7 a.m., between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
"For us, this is a really good turnout," Moore said. "In March, it took us all day to get to 96 [voters]."
Voter Pamela Aiken said when she cast her ballot at Mt. Calvary Baptist, she was looking for a "people person."
"It’s one thing to hear people, but you need to be able to understand and relate to people at their level," Aiken said. "If they have always lived on the hill, they don’t know what it is like to be broke or to not have because they have always been in a situation where they had something. We need someone who is able to help people where they are at."
− Alexandra Koch
Who is on the ballot in the primary? Here's a breakdown for contested races in the Augusta area
Columbia County BOE Sports Complex | 1:27 p.m.
Today marks only the second time this location has been used as a polling place. How's the turnout been?
"Slow. Real slow," said poll worker Jimmie Stokes. Even early voting and absentee ballots totaled just 4,169 in a population of more than 160,000.
During lunchtime, only about 70 voters had cast their ballots so far.
"I don't think it was advertised like it has been in the past," Stokes said. "I didn't hear anything about Columbia County voting. Only news last night was all Richmond County."
− Joe Hotchkiss
Julian Smith Casino sees impressive early turnout | 11:30 a.m.
Ahead of lunch rush, the Julian Smith Casino poll location at 2200 Broad St. already had 260 voters cast their ballots, as of 11:30 a.m.
Poll manager Christopher Yount said voting is expected to pick up around lunch time and after people get off work at about 5 p.m.
"Voting has been steady, but not overwhelming," Yount said.
Voter Howard Channell said he came out to the polls because he wanted to have a voice in the government.
"Hopefully we’ll have some change and get back on the right track," Channell said. "I think more people need to [vote]. I am not the person to tell you who to vote for, but I will tell everybody to please go vote."
Voter Gybrille Jackson said his motivation to vote was making sure the right person for the job was in office.
While he would not disclose his picks, Jackson said confidently, "I think I got the right person for the job."
− Alexandra Koch
Columbia County Commission candidates smile for the camera | 11:30 a.m.
Both Republican candidates for the Columbia County Commission District 2 showed up at Abilene Baptist on Tuesday and posed together for a photo. Trey Allen was there to vote, while Mark Petersen was collecting signs that had been removed because they were too close to the voting precinct. Petersen said he voted early.
There is no Democratic opposition for the seat, so the winner of Tuesday’s primary is the presumptive winner of the race.
Allen served two terms on the commission, from 2008 to 2016, and jumped into this race just before filing closed. Petersen said he hopes he does better than his 2020 District 2 seat bid, where he finished third of four contenders with 15% of the vote.
Voting so far light at Patriot's Park | 10:55 a.m.
Voting was steady but light at Patriot’s Park in Grovetown on Tuesday morning, poll workers said.
Edward Duffy said he and his wife Barbara voted straight Republican. “We’ve been happy with the way things are going” in Columbia County.
Robert Gray, retired military, said he voted Democratic because the party’s values are more in line with his.
− Jennifer Miller
Campaigners set up outside Kroc Center | 10:30 a.m.
More than half a dozen campaigners, all for different candidates, set up lawn chairs along Broad Street and waived signs at drivers as they passed by the Kroc Center.
Erika Young brought her father and daughter out to advocate for her sister, district attorney challenger Amber Brantley.
"She is a woman of integrity and faith," Young said. "I believe she is going to bring about some change, which Richmond County needs."
Bobby Terrell Connor, who was campaigning for current District Attorney Jared T. Williams, said Williams "does good work" and should be reelected.
"I think he's a great district attorney and I think everybody needs to vote for him," Connor said.
Darlene Woods, who was campaigning for both current Mayor Garnett Johnson and Richmond County Sheriff challenger Bo Johnson, said change is necessary on the law enforcement side.
"We need change in Richmond County," Woods said. "We've been needing it for a long time. We need to give Mr. Bo Johnson a chance to come in and maybe change some things up because we've been having a lot of troubles in Richmond County."
As of 10:30 a.m., the Kroc Center polling location at 1833 Broad Street had only seen 27 voters, according to poll manager Susan Wyatt.
Wyatt said more voters usually turn out around lunchtime, but the current figures are consistent with the numbers they see every primary.
− Alexandra Koch
Q&A: Richmond County sheriff Democratic candidates talk misconduct, transparency and more
Slow, but steady in early voting | 9:23 a.m.
Betty Ingram stopped by Abilene Baptist Church on Washington Road to vote Tuesday morning before heading into work.
"I voted Republican," she said. "I always vote Republican."
Voting was light but steady at Abilene early Tuesday as the polls opened. Poll manager Molly Boyleston said so far all was well. She has been a poll worker for 33 years.
− Jennifer Miller
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen casts vote at Julian Smith Casino | 9:15 a.m.
Some residents made the decision to cast their vote first thing in the morning, among them U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, who was at the Julian Smith Casino just after 8 a.m. One local issue he expressed was his support for the Augusta mayor's vote.
"He's our city's top elected official and he needs to have skin in the game," Allen said. "Just like the speaker of the House, he doesn't have to vote on everything, but he has the right to vote on those things."
Another local issue Allen has been very involved with has been the safety and health issues reported around Bon Air Apartments. This morning he provided an update, saying renovations are currently underway with an expected completion by next year, and his office continues to follow those developments closely.
Allen is currently running for re-election, but is unopposed in the race for the Republican nomination. After today, he will face off against the Democratic nominee for the November election.
—Miguel Legoas
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Election Day, May 21: Augusta-area primary, nonpartisan race updates
