By 10 tonight, Rudy Olson can sit back and take a respite from voters. But only for a few hours.
Mrs. Olson, the county's election board executive director, hopes to be finished counting votes by 10 p.m., especially if voter turnout is the expected 30 percent.
The polls close about 7 p.m. and vote counting should begin about 7:30 p.m, she said.
And some people have already voted.
"Absentees have been good, but it has been mostly poll workers," she said, adding that about 600 people already have voted by absentee ballot.
Mrs. Olson said a 30 percent turnout estimate should hold true -- especially if turnout reflects other recent elections.
Only 13 percent of registered voters participated in a 1997 special school sales tax election, Mrs. Olson said. In the presidential primary election in 1996, there was 30 percent voter participation, and in the last state election, voter turnout was at 34 percent.
Since the 1997 election, the number of people registered to vote in the county has increased by 4,300.
Mrs. Olson attributes the increase in the number of registered voters to the motor-voter law which makes it more convenient to register. Since it was implemented in 1995, 17,800 new voters have registered to vote in Columbia County.
Vote-counting time will also depend on the amount of time it takes the precincts from Grovetown and Harlem to come in.
Although she is using a machine that can count 1,000 ballots per minute, she can't count what she doesn't have.
"The farther out you are the longer it takes to get here," she said.
But the election may not be over for Mrs. Olson tonight. Any races requiring a runoff will be held Aug. 11 and officials must begin planning now.
Precinct 1A:
Aldersgate United Methodist Chuch, 3185 Wheeler Road
Precinct 1B:
Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3185 Wheeler Road
Precinct 2:
American Legion Post, Richmond Hill Road at Windsor Spring Road
Precinct 3:
Augusta Deliverance Evangelistic Church, 2028 Roosevelt Drive
Precinct 4:
Bayvale Baptist Church, 2240 Bayvale Road
Precinct 5A:
Belle Terrace Community Center, 2456 Golden Camp Road
Precinct 5B:
Belle Terrace Community Center, 2456 Golden Camp Road
Precinct 6:
Bernie Ward Community Center, 1925 Lumpkin Road
Precinct 7:
New Hope Community Center, 1336 Conklin Ave.
Precinct 8:
Blythe Community Center, Georgia Highway 88
Precinct 9A:
Asbury Methodist Church, 1305 Troupe St.
Precinct 9B:
Asbury Methodist Church, 1305 Troupe St.
Precinct 10:
Central Christian Church, 220 Crawford Ave.
Precinct 11A:
Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3131 Walton Way
Precinct 11B:
Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3131 Walton Way
Precinct 12:
Dyess Park, 902 D'Antignac St.
Precinct 13:
Eastview Recreation Center, 644 Aiken St.
Precinct 14A:
Educational Media Services Building, 3148 Lake Forest Drive
Precinct 14B:
Educational Media Services Building, 3148 Lake Forest Drive
Precinct 15A:
First Baptist Church of Gracewood, 3633 Peach Orchard Road near Tobacco Road
Precinct 15B:
First Baptist Church of Gracewood, 3633 Peach Orchard Road near Tobacco Road
Precinct 16:
First Corinth Baptist Church, Georgia Highway 56 near Clark Road
Precinct 17: Fleming Baptist Church, 3027 Peach Orchard Road
Precinct 18A: Gilbert Manor Rental Office
Precinct 18B: Gilbert Manor Rental Office
Precinct 19: Glendale Bible Chapel, 2011 Randall Road
Precinct 20: Gracewood Community Center, Tobacco Road
Precinct 21A: Highland Avenue across from Daniel Field, Permanent Building
Precinct 21B: Highland Avenue across from Daniel Field, Permanent Building
Precinct 22A: Jamestown Community Center, New Karleen Road
Precinct 22B: Jamestown Community Center, New Karleen Road
Precinct 23: Jesse Carroll Community Center, 4681 Windsor Spring Road
Precinct 24A: Johnson Recreation Center, 1694 Hunter St.
Precinct 24B: Johnson Recreation Center, 1694 Hunter St.
Precinct 25A: Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad St.
Precinct 25B: Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad St.
Precinct 26: Lake Park Baptist Church, 211 Milledge Road
Precinct 27A: Langford Middle School, 3019 Walton Way
Precinct 27B: Langford Middle School, 3019 Walton Way
Precinct 28: Lumpkin Road Baptist Church, 2540 Lumpkin Road
Precinct 29: Lutheran Church of the Ascension, 2860 Wells Drive
Precinct 30: Lyndon Grove Presbyterian Church, 2204 Kimberly Drive
Precinct 31: May Park Recreation Center, 622 Fourth St.
Precinct 32A: McDuffie Woods Community Center, off Barton Chapel Road
Precinct 32B: McDuffie Woods Community Center, off Barton Chapel Road
Precinct 33: Meadowbrook Baptist Church, 2723 Meadowbrook Road
Precinct 34: Minnick Park, 1850 Kissingbower Road
Precinct 35: Morgan Road Middle School, 3635 Hiers Blvd.
Precinct 36: Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 1260 Wrightsboro Road
Precinct 37: Mount Vernon Baptist Church, 1930 Olive Road
Precinct 38: National Hills Baptist Church, 2725 Washington Road
Precinct 39: Naval Reserve Center, 2869 Central Ave.
Precinct 40: New Horizon Church of God, 1800 Windsor Spring Road at Louisville Road
Precinct 41: Old Waynesboro Road Fire Station
Precinct 42: Peabody Apartments, 1425 Walton Way
Precinct 43: Pine Hill Baptist Church, 4233 Old Waynesboro Road
Precinct 44: Gilbert Lambuth Chapel at Paine College, Druid Park Avenue
Precinct 45: Second Mount Moriah Baptist Church, 1404 Brown St.
Precinct 46; Silvercrest Baptist Church, 3431 Peach Orchard Road
Precinct 47: Southside Baptist Church, 2420 Norfolk St. off Georgia Highway 56
Precinct 48: St. John's Towers, 724 Greene St.
Precinct 49: St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 2367 Washington Road
Precinct 50: Sue Reynolds Community Center, Buck Road off Maddox Road
Precinct 51: Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 649, Veterans Drive off Windsor Spring Road
Precinct 52: Walton Way Extension Fire Station, across from First Baptist Church
Precinct 53: Warren Road Recreation Center, 300 Warren Road
Precinct 54: Westside High School, 1002 Sterling Road
Precinct 55A: Wildwood Christian Church, 2627 Tobacco Road
Precinct 55B: Wildwood Christian Church, 2627 Tobacco Road
Precinct 56: Woodlawn Methodist Church, 2220 Walton Way
Precinct 57A: First Baptist Church, 3500 Walton Way
Precinct 57B: First Baptist Church, 3500 Walton Way
Blythe: Blythe Community Center, Georgia Highway 88
Hephzibah: Jesse Carroll Community Center, 4681 Windsor Spring Road
Source: Richmond County Board of Elections
Precinct 10:
Kiokee Baptist Church
Precinct 15:
Lewis Memorial Methodist Church
Precinct 20:
Harlem Middle School
Precinct 21:
New Hope Baptist Church
Precinct 25:
Bessie Thomas Community Center
Precinct 26:
Euchee Creek Elementary School
Precinct 30:
Grovetown City Hall
Precinct 31:
Board of Education DOI Building (Grovetown)
Precinct 32:
Greater Augusta Apostolic Church
Precinct 40:
Eubank Blanchard Community Center
Precinct 50:
Leah Fire Department
Precinct 60:
Evans Elementary School
Precinct 61:
Greenbrier High School
Precinct 65:
Evans Sanctified Church
Precinct 70:
Blanchard Park
Precinct 74:
Westmont Elementary School
Precinct 75:
Brookwood Elementary School
Precinct 76:
Marvin Methodist Church
Precinct 80:
Martinez Elementary School
Precinct 85:
Westside Christian Church
Precinct 90:
Abilene Baptist Church
Precinct 100:
Martinez Community Center
Precinct 105: Stevens Creek Elementary School
Precinct 106: Savannah Rapids Pavillion
Precinct 107: Water Branch Baptist Church
Precinct 108: Bakerwoods Baptist Church
Precinct 110: South Columbia Elementary School
Precinct 111: Lakeside Middle School
Precinct 115: Martinez Baptist Church
Precinct 120: Belair Elementary School
Precinct 125: Church of Our Savior
Precinct 130: Evans Middle School
Precinct 131: Grace Baptist Church
Precinct 132: Wesley Methodist Church
Precinct 135: Riverside Middle School
Precinct 136: Blue Ridge Elementary School
Precinct 137: Christ the King Lutheran Church
Source: Columbia County Board of Elections
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