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Voters pull a no-show at the polls
Posted: 08.23.2012 at 2:30 AM
Updated: 08.23.2012 at 10:50 AM
Jessica Fairley

Jessica Fairley is a reporter with FOX 31 News

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Voters casting their ballots at the Government Center in downtown Albany.  / Jessica Fairley
Photo

ALBANY, GA. --
After Tuesday's run-off election, officials say the number of voters who turned out isn't adding up to the amount of money spent on overhead costs.

Election officials say although the number of people who typically turnout out to vote during a run-off election is low; they say this time the number of people who came out was abnormally low.

“We had a turnout of approximately 0.60 percent,” says Ginger Nickerson, Dougherty County Elections Supervisor.

That’s a little over 300 Republicans or Independents who turned out to vote out of Dougherty County's 50,000 registered voters. Democrats weren’t eligible to vote in this run-off election.

Ginger Nickerson says there were several precincts that had no voter turnout for the whole day.

“This is the first one that I’ve experienced this low of a turnout,” says Ginger Nickerson.

The numbers weren't only low in Dougherty County. Only 633 people voted in Lee County.

“We have 17,909 registered active voters. So that gave us the percentage turnout of 3.53 percent,” says Veronica Johnson, Lee County Elections Supervisor.

She says many people don't consider the amount of time and preparation that goes into preparing for an election, nor the amount of money that it's costing taxpayers.

“State law dictates during each election each precinct has to be staffed with at least three people. That adds up to nearly $7,000 in payroll yesterday for a three and a half percent turnout,” says Veronica Johnson.

More than $10,000 was spent in Dougherty County.

Officials say for run-off elections a lot of people don't take the time to come out to vote but they should consider what it's costing them.

“We really wish more people would come out and vote because they are receiving a benefit that's paid for out of their tax dollars,” says Veronica Johnson.

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