Georgia election 2022 live updates: Elections conclude in Richmond, Columbia counties
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It's Election Day in Georgia is over. Voters across the peach state headed to the polls to cast ballots in local, statewide and federal races in the 2022 midterm elections.
In the Georgia governor's race, Gov. Brian Kemp faced off against Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. In a key U.S. Senate race, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock was challenged by UGA football icon and Republican Herschel Walker.
Various local races in Richmond and Columbia counties were on the ballot. Learn more about them here.
GEORGIA ELECTION RESULTS 2022: See results from local and statewide races
7 p.m. | Final call, last second voters
As Election Day came to a close, last-minute voters rushed to cast their ballots.
Voters popped in and out of Christ's Sanctified Holy Church polling location on North Belair Road in Evans, just minutes before the polls were set to close.
Megan Cerasuolo said she put voting off until the last minute because she had work all day.
“I’m a procrastinator,” Cerasuolo said.
Donna Melvin, who works at the Savannah River Site, said she came in close to closing because she had to make the drive back to Evans from work.
“I wanted to make sure I got by to vote,” Melvin said. “It’s always well done here. They know how to get you through and give you the time to vote and everything you need. It’s the democratic process at work.”
Richmond County Board of Elections Director Travis Doss said Richmond County did not face any issues with technology and does not expect any lines after polls close.
“We have not had any lines today," he said, "so I'm not expecting anything at 7 o'clock today.”
Doss added the county did not have any technical issues Tuesday.
- Alexandra Koch
6:15 p.m. | The most popular polling locations in Richmond County
The Richmond County Board of Elections has released the most popular polling locations Tuesday.
Director Travis Doss said Richmond County’s most popular locations were:
Julian Smith Casino on Broad Street
Aldersquate United Methodist Church on Wheeler Road
Providence Baptist Church on Wrightsboro Road
Robert Howard Community Center on Diamond Lakes Way in Hephzibah
- Alexandra Koch
5:15 p.m. | First time voting in Georgia
Tuesday evening was Columbia County resident Walter Hunter’s first time voting in Georgia.
Hunter, who relocated to the state from New Jersey, said the move was so recent, there was no time for early voting.
“I like the experience of coming out on Election Day, but also I just got my license so I couldn’t do early voting," he said. "I had to come on the actual day.”
Hunter, who donned a "Marine Veteran" t-shirt and hat, said the touchscreen technology used at Columbia County Library polling location on Evans Town Center Boulevard was impressive.
“It was very easy. I was surprised,” he said. “This was my first time with this kind of system, but I liked it a lot. … It was quicker, but they had a lot of questions there.”
- Alexandra Koch
4:50 p.m. | ‘You can’t complain ... if you don’t participate’
As voter Bruce Tibbetts walked toward the Columbia County Board of Education voting center on Hereford Farm Road in Evans, he looked serious.
When asked what brought him out to the polls Tuesday, he replied simply, “Civic responsibility.”
Tibbetts said that he has been in Georgia for about 10 years and has voted in every election since moving here.
“You can’t complain, they say, if you don’t participate,” he said.
There were less than half a dozen voters at the polling location at the time, but cars continued to roll in as rush hour commenced.
- Alexandra Koch
4:30 p.m. | 'Now it's all touchscreen'
It is Edgar Gates Jr.'s third election volunteering. The retiree turned election volunteer said things have changed since he reached the voting age.
"Now, we have equipment we all get trained on to make the process easy and simple," Gates said. "We took away all the paperwork that used to be necessary in the old days. Now it's all touchscreen and makes it smoother and a lot quicker than what it used to be in the past."
Gates said with time on his hands, he wanted to get involved with elections. The volunteers work the entire day, relieving each other for short breaks throughout.
"It helps if people are retired like I am," he said. "If you want to get involved you have to devote the time to it and have the heart to be able to do it."
- Alexandra Koch
3:20 p.m. | 'That's being evil'
Some Augustans are playing dirty in this midterm.
Just outside the poll at Henry Brigham Community Center on Golden Camp Road, political signs have been getting tampered with or even destroyed. Photos circulated Monday on Facebook showing a variety of signs torn up or pulled out of the ground.
Lynda Fryer, who is campaigning for state Sen. Harold Jones in the area, said someone had messed up their signs early Tuesday.
"That's crazy," Fryer said. "That's being evil."
Despite the ill-will, Fryer and her sister Roberta have been standing along the side of the road with signs since 7 a.m. and they are committed to staying there until 7 p.m.
"I believe in what he stands for and I think he's the best candidate," Fryer said.
- Miguel Legoas
2:15 p.m. | Elections going slow but smooth
It's about half-way through Election Day, and Board of Elections directors in Richmond and Columbia counties say they have not had any issues so far with staffing, technology, etc.
Richmond County Director Travis Doss said the turnout is slowing down a bit from this morning. While the goal is to get to 55-65% by the end of the day, they are currently sitting at around 40% and it's unclear right now if they will meet that objective.
Columbia County Director Nancy Gay said, as of noon, they had a little over 11,000 votes in total. She has told every precinct that she needs 621 voters at each precinct, and if they meet that goal, it will represent 65% turnout.
Doss and Gay asked voters to make sure of their precinct and poll location, which can be found online at My Voter Page. Voters were also reminded that, as long as they are in line by 7 p.m., the poll will stay open for them to cast a ballot.
- Miguel Legoas
1:50 p.m. | Party at the polls
Want to celebrate election day? There's a party going down outside the Robert Howard Community Center in the Diamond Lakes area.
Georgia Stand-Up is providing dancing, upbeat music and free food to encourage people to come out and vote.
Organizer and Grovetown City Councilwoman Ceretta Smith said, "You know how important voting is. We're trying to make it fun, so hopefully somebody will go tell somebody, 'There's a party going on at the polls! Come on over and vote. And after you vote, get some good food and let's just have a little bit of fun.'"
The food comes from Calesha Jenkins, owner of J and K Blue Box, who is frying up fish, shrimp, French fries and other goodies. This was the first time Jenkins had done something like this, and while it's a different experience, this is an important issue to her.
"It's just the right thing to do," Jenkins said. "We want to make sure that everybody's voice is heard."
- Miguel Legoas
12:55 p.m. | Short waits in Columbia County
Columbia County voting has been running smoothly through Tuesday morning, according to the executive director of the county’s Board of Elections.
“We’ve had over 11,000 vote already today,” Nancy Gay said shortly before 1 p.m. “I need another 20,000 to come out by 7 o’clock to get 65%.” The county fell just shy of that in the 2018 midterm.
About 33,000 voters cast their ballots during the three weeks of advance voting, Gay said, which is “still kind of good for a midterm.”
Also, election offices are checking wait times at voting precincts. “The longest line we had was seven minutes at lunch time,” she said, though she wasn’t immediately sure of which polling place. “Everyone else was no time at all.”
- Joe Hotchkiss
12:15 p.m. | Brisk voting
Through mid-morning, more than 300 people had cast their votes at Julian Smith Casino in Tuesday’s midterm election, according to poll supervisor Judy Blackstone.
“Sometimes by 7 o’clock around here, on a good election, we do 800 to 900 all day,” she said.
In the May 24 general primary, 654 votes were cast at Julian Smith Casino out of 1,619 voters registered with that precinct.
- Joe Hotchkiss
11:45 a.m. | ‘How lazy can you be?’
Mike Lowery doesn’t have anything against U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker. Lowery just likes the stance and the campaign of incumbent Raphael Warnock, whose campaign sign he held outside Julian Smith Casino.
“Warnock has the most experience. He’s politically savvy,” he said. “It’s just like any job. If you don’t have the experience, you’re not going to do a really good job.”
Voting for your favorite candidate is “the democratic way,” he said.
“My people went through a lot so we could vote. Not only my race, but every American should vote,” said Lowery, a Black man. “That’s your patriotic right. Besides, one day every two or four years? Come on! How lazy can you be?”
11:20 a.m. | School board candidate has mom's support
Whether she wins or loses the District 7 seat for the Richmond County Board of Education, Brittainy Broadwater is “still going to work hard for children and education,” according to one of her supporters Tuesday.
That supporter is the candidate’s mother, Wanda Broadwater, who was near the polling place at St. Mark United Methodist Church on Washington Road.
“The current board says they work on policy, but she says that everything starts at the top. She wants them to be accountable,” she said. “Win or lose, she wants her constituents to use their voices and to do their jobs and vote other people in.”
Brittainy Broadwater, who runs a consulting business, has worked as a substitute teacher and is president of Warren Road Elementary School’s Council. She is facing incumbent Charlie Walker Jr. In Tuesday's election.
- Joe Hotchkiss
11 a.m. | ‘No trouble at all’ voting
Ross Williams of Augusta had no problem voting Tuesday morning at National Hills Baptist Church, the polling place for Precinct 703.
Neither did Williams’ 97-year-old mother, whom he took to the polls.
“No trouble at all,” he said.
The most important race on the ballot? “Probably senator,” said Williams, adding that he voted for incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, who’s facing a challenge against Republican and University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker. “I just don’t think Herschel’s qualified.”
- Joe Hotchkiss
10:36 a.m. | Making the county tax office 'accessible'
If car horns were votes, Veronica Freeman Brown was working on a majority Tuesday morning on Washington Road.
“See? Really good reception,” said the candidate for Richmond County tax commissioner between beeps as she waved to passersby in front of National Hills Baptist Church.
Brown is challenging Tederell “Chris” Johnson for the seat Johnson was appointed to earlier this year after incumbent Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick qualified to run for mayor. Also on the ballot is Sanford Loyd.
Freeman, who’s financial director of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, said "community-oriented" accessibility to the tax office is a primary goal to help lift the sometimes-overwhelming bureaucratic fog of coping with taxes.
“When I tell people that, that means I want to go out to community centers, civic organizations as the tax commissioner and work with people more hands-on,” she said. “I want to make things much more online accessible as well, so expanding on what they have online now, making it where you have customer service representatives that work online for those who can’t go out to the tax commissioner’s office.”
- Joe Hotchkiss
10:20 a.m. |'Taxes affect everything'
Shawn Edwards, the executive director of the land bank authority, had set himself up across from the Asbury Methodist Church on Troupe Street in a folding camp chair with a sign and T-shirt promoting his preferred candidate for Richmond County Tax Commissioner. For Edwards, even a down-ballot local race like tax commissioner is important to get right.
Edwards is advocating for Tederell “Chris” Johnson, who was appointed to fill the term of tax commissioner Steven Kendrick when Kendrick stepped down in a failed bid for mayor. Johnson is now running for a full term against Veronica Freeman Brown and Sanford Loyd.
"Our taxes affect everything in Richmond County," Edwards said.
Better tax collection means more revenue for the county, Edwards said, which means fewer residents moving to adjoining counties instead.
"The more taxes we can collect, the more services we can provide," he said.
- Abraham Kenmore
10:10 a.m. |'So far, so good'
Voting across Richmond County is going smoothly, according to Travis Doss Jr., executive director of the Richmond County Board of Elections.
"So far, so good. It seems like everything is going smoothly," he said.
Doss expects 55-65% turnout by the end of the day. So far, he said, there were no lines, and the Board of Elections had no issues staffing polling places.
The most important thing voters need to do, according to Doss, is make sure they are going to the right place to vote, not an early voting site or anywhere else.
"They can only go to the polling place where they are registered to vote," Doss said.
To confirm, voters can call the county board of election — the general phone number is 706-821-2340 — or check their My Voter Page online.
- Abraham Kenmore
9:30 a.m. |'Balance of power'
Baillie Conway voted early Tuesday for Herschel Walker and Brian Kemp at the Asbury Methodist Church on Troupe Street.
"I just enjoy always coming out to vote," he said, but those two races — governor and senate — were particularly important this time.
Related: Georgia election 2022 live updates: Polls open with governor, Senate races on the line
"I think Senate wise, it's important to get the Republican majority back," Conway said. With a Democratic president, "That way you have the balance of power."
He also appreciated Kemp's first term as governor.
"I think Kemp has done a good job handling the pandemic," he said.
Conway thinks even if voters can't find a perfect candidate, they should still turn out.
"I think it's important to vote even if you don't agree with 100% of the candidate's stances," he said.
- Abraham Kenmore
8:25 a.m. | Last minute campaigning
Jwan Knight was outside the Mount Calvary Baptist Church early Tuesday, holding a sign for Yiet Knight, his mother, who is running for Richmond County School Board District 2.
"This is our first time doing this," Knight said. "We want to bring some new ideas to the city. That's all we want to do."
Calvin Brooks, wearing a Vietnam veterans hat on his way to vote, asked Knight if his mother was a Democrat.
Brooks, a 28-year U.S. Army veteran, said his top issues were "Social Security, the economy, and the women's right to choose," adding, "and yes, I am voting Democrat."
Brooks said he liked Sen. Raphael Warnock and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, although he does not think she will be able to win. He also thought Biden cancelling some student loan debt was a good policy.
"I don't think Republicans are good for this county," he said. "I've been voting Democratic since I could vote, and I'm 77 years old."
- Abraham Kenmore
7:55 a.m. | A quarter of voters already cast ballots
Heading into election day in Augusta, about a quarter of active voters already cast ballots in person, while more have cast absentee ballots.
Richmond County saw about 24% of voters casting ballots early in person. For Columbia County, about 32% of voters voted early and in person.
Richmond County has about 130,621 active voters while Columbia County has 105,491, according to the Georgia Secretary of State's website.
Richmond County already held elections for most of its local races, including the mayor, this spring. The primary and local nonpartisan election was held in May, with a turnout of about 28%. The subsequent runoff had a turnout of about 19%.
Columbia County saw higher turnout, with about 31% of voters coming out in May, but just 2% participation in the runoff.
Across the state, more than 2.5 million voters cast ballots before election day, according to the Secretary of State.
- Abraham Kenmore
7:25 a.m. | Voters start to trickle in
A handful of voters showed up in the first half hour of voting at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Broad Street.
Eileen F. Jones was checking photo IDs and handing out stickers as voters entered and left the polling area, wearing a shirt from a previous election that read "Freedom rides for voting rights continues." She said it was her fourth or fifth year working an election.
"I had a great grandfather who lived to be 106 years old, and the first time he voted was when he was 99 years old," Jones said.
When her great grandfather, Peter Jacobs, finally cast a ballot for the first time, she said he was crying. She didn't know why at the time, but came to understand as she grew older.
While she has only been working at the polls for a few years, Jones said she got involved with political campaigns starting in high school.
"I enjoy doing it because it's the American way of doing things," she said. "It's good to have a voice in your government."
- Abraham Kenmore
7 a.m. | Polls are open. What to know if you're voting in Richmond, Columbia County
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open till 7 p.m. See polling locations in Georgia.
Voters in line by 7 p.m. will be permitted to cast a ballot.
Voters can vote at their assigned polling location. A full list is available on the county website:
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This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Election Day 2022 Georgia: Live updates from Richmond, Columbia voting
