GOP gets out the vote in Floyd
Precincts supporting Republican candidates have the highest turnout rates in the runoff elections.
Results aren’t scheduled to be certified until Monday, but two city voting precincts made the top 10 for turnout in last week’s runoff elections, taking over slots held by precincts in the unincorporated area.
The comparatively higher enthusiasm level, however, translated into a higher percentage of the vote going to the Republican candidates on the ballot.
The statewide elections pitted Republican Brad Raffensperger against Democrat John Barrow for the secretary of state position and Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton against Democrat Lindy Miller for a seat on the Public Service Commission. Both Republicans won Floyd County, and the state.
Turnout is traditionally lower in runoffs and Robert Brady, chief elections clerk for Floyd County, had predicted no more than 20 percent of the eligible voters would return to the polls Dec. 4. The unofficial average was 20.03 percent, compared to 57.79 percent in the Nov. 6 general election.
“Some people don’t care one way or another,” Brady said.
Both local parties were heavily focused on get-outthe-vote efforts. The question is, who went back?
The precincts of Texas Valley and Floyd Springs, in the rural northern reaches of the county, logged the highest percentage of voters in both elections. More than 70 percent of them chose Raffensperger in the general election. He won more than 80 percent there in the runoff.
None of the six city precincts made the top 10 for turnout in the general election, and only North Rome beat the county average. However, the North Rome and East Rome precincts were both among the top tier in the runoff.
North Rome went for Raffensperger at a rate of 55.68 percent in the runoff, compared to 51.29 percent in the general. East Rome gave him 53 percent last week versus 49.98 percent in November.
Raffensperger won more than 75 percent of the votes cast in each of the remaining precincts with the highest turnout for the runoff: Howell, Everett Springs, Chulio, Fosters Mill, Etowah and Armuchee. He won 72.45 percent of the vote countywide.
Voters in the Barkers and East Lindale precincts ranked ninth and 10th respectively in terms of turnout for the general election, but dropped to 12th and 15th place in the runoff.
The turnout for Cave Spring was the lowest recorded — at just 12.26 percent in the general election but rose to 21.14 percent in the runoff.
Turnout in the runoff was lowest in South Rome, at 13.56 percent.