Printing holdup delays advance voting for runoff

07/30/04
Brandy T. Mullis
Area voters turned out in record numbers for advance voting in the July 20 primary and Susan Rooks of the Laurens County Registrar’s Office expects a large crowd for the August 10 runoff as well. However, early voters won’t be able to cast a vote until midweek next week due to a printing holdup caused by a longer than usual certification period in the Secretary of State’s Office.

“It was due to the recount requested by Howard Mead,” Rooks said. “It delayed the certification of the election.”

She said she has had numerous calls from voters planning to take advantage of the early ballots and is doing all she can. But, the registrar said, it’s mainly a waiting game.

“It’s not in our control,” she said.

“Advance voting officially begins Monday. But we have no ballots... and we can’t vote until we get some ballots.”

Advance voting, which was enacted through Senate Bill 258, went into effect in Georgia in September. Rooks has said the only difference in advance voting and absentee voting is that electors simply do not have to state a reason why they will not be at the polls on election day.

Rooks said all information has now gone to the printer who produces the ballots, Diebold. The next step is the printing and proofing process.

She said the Kennesaw printer prints for more than 100 counties in the state.

“I’m in line with the rest of them,” she said.

Rooks said if everything goes as planned she should get ballots late Tuesday or early Wednesday. She then has to proof them in her office before allowing any voting.

“It just takes time,” she said.

Rooks said that if ballots were to come in any earlier than planned she will notify The Courier Herald and do radio spots as well.

And though she has no set number as far as a prediction, Rooks said she expects the numbers to be close to what she saw in the primary.

“Especially with the DA and sheriff’s races being so heated... and the school board is really picking up too.”

The last day to advance vote will be Friday, August 6.

Rooks apologized for the inconvenience to the county’s voters. She recommended that any voter who plans to come to her office to cast a ballot should call before coming in to avoid coming before ballots are ready.

“Please call first,” she said.

Rooks said voters should be aware there will be no Republican ticket in the August runoff, only Nonpartisan and Democratic. Those who voted Republican in the primary may only vote Nonpartisan if they choose to vote in the runoff, not Democratic.

Voters who did not vote in the primary may still vote in the runoff.