‘A few hundred’ runoff voters expected Tuesday

Advance voting wrapped up Friday for the runoff primary and Floyd elections chief Pete McDonald says it was “extremely slow.”

From Monday morning through midafternoon Friday, around 175 people had stopped by the elections office to vote, he says. Several hundred absentee ballots went out — some automatically as voters can request ballots for May, June and November elections at one time — and few have been returned, McDonald says.

He expects “a few hundred” people will vote on Tuesday as all precincts will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. And while he doesn’t expect any lines, McDonald urged voters to arrive hydrated given the day’s forecast. It will be in the high 90s for much of the afternoon and early evening on Tuesday.

Those who voted in the Republican primary can’t vote in the Democratic runoffs. Democratic turnout in the May 24 primary was just over 3,000 in Floyd County.

Those who registered to vote through May 21 can vote in the runoff even if they were too late to do so in the primary.

Statewide, slightly over 95,000 advance votes had occurred through Thursday, says Walter Jones of the Secretary of State’s Office. The rule of thumb now is half the expected voters turn out early so election day could see more than 100,000 votes added to that total.

The sample ballot:

Lieutenant governor: Charlie Bailey vs. Kwanza Hall.

Secretary of state: Dee Hawkins-Haigler vs Bee Nguyen

Secretary of labor: William Boddie Jr. vs. Nicole Horn

Insurance commissioner: Raphael Baker vs. Janice Laws Robinson. Election notes:

The Floyd County Board of Elections and Registration will hold a Special Called Meeting on Tuesday at 7 a.m. at the elections office, 18 E. 12th St., and then adjourn but ready to assemble should issues develop with Tuesday’s primary runoff vote.