It might just be the quietest election ever.

Only 18 people voted Monday on the first day of early voting in the runoff election to determine the winner of a statewide seat on the Public Service Commission.

Incumbent David Burgess, a Democrat, is facing newcomer Republican Chuck Eaton; neither candidate got 50 percent of the vote in the general election.

There are no Fayette races on the ballot for this runoff election.

Although polls will be open across Fayette Tuesday for the traditional election day, early voting takes place all this week at the elections office at the county’s Stonewall complex in Fayetteville. Electors can record their votes between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday, but there will be no early voting on Monday.

Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. but a light turnout is predicted. Only 680 absentee ballots were requested in advance, and they must be turned in by Friday.

The elections office will accept all absentee ballots through Monday but not on Tuesday. Anyone who secured an absentee ballot but failed to turn it in by Monday must surrender the ballot at the elections office or their polling place and vote in person instead, said Elections Officer Brenda Mann.

There is one exception to that rule, and that’s if the absentee ballot was specially applied for by a disabled voter, Mann said. Those absentees will be accepted at the office Tuesday if they are delivered by a family member of the disabled person, she noted.

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