Wednesday, October 25, 2000
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Wednesday, October 25, 2000 |
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Fayette headed toward record voter turnout? By DAVE HAMRICK
Come Nov. 7, there's going to be a whole lot of voting going on. Carolyn Combs, Fayette County's election superintendent, is predicting voter turnout could be as high as 70 to 80 percent. "I may be wrong, but we expect a very high voter turnout," she said. Workers in the county elections office are still working to process the applications of thousands of new voters who registered in a last-minute flurry, Combs said. Registration drives, more convenient methods of registering and publicity helped spur the influx of new voters as the Oct. 10 deadline to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 7 General Election approached, she said. "We are processing a lot of applications," she said. A random sampling of five days in late September and early October showed 1,798 new voters signed up on those five days alone. The new voters will be added to the 49,564 active and 8,121 inactive voters already on Fayette's rolls. Anytime there's a big spike in registrations it's reasonable to expect a large turnout, said Combs. "And absentee voting has been steady," she added, "so that's two good indications we'll have a high voter turnout." A third indication is that her office is handling a high number of phone calls with questions about polling places, etc., she said. High turnout means long lines at polling places, but Combs said you can shorten the time involved in voting, and thus shorten the lines of voters, by being prepared. Sample ballots are available in the elections office at 140 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, and as a public service The Citizen will print the ballot in next week's edition, Nov. 1. If you mark the sample ballot and take it with you into the voting booth, it will speed up the process, Combs said. In addition to a large number of candidates in the national and local elections, there are 12 constitutional amendments, referendums and bond issues on the ballot. If voters have to read and comprehend all of those issues for the first time as they vote, it will add greatly to the time required, Combs said. You can read the synopses of the referendum questions on the sample ballot, and if you need more information, The Citizen also will print explanations offered by the Georgia Press Association attorneys in next week's edition. Brief explanations also are available on the secretary of state's web site at www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/const_amend_2000.htm . The secretary's office also offers a toll free information line with information on the ballot questions. Phone (888) 265-1115. "If you choose to vote on the constitutional amendments and haven't read them ahead of time, you're going to be in there a long time," said Combs.
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