With good reason, Georgia Republicans are worried about low voter turnout for elections in two weeks when, for the first time in six years, Coastal Georgians will have a say in who sits on the powerful Georgia Public Service Commission.
As of Saturday, less than 1% — 0.98% — of the 434,212 registered voters in the Coastal Georgia counties of Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn and Liberty have cast early, in-person ballots, according to a tally compiled from the websites of those counties’ election boards. Except for Chatham and Liberty, all are GOP strongholds.
While sounding the alarm about low, statewide Republican turnout for the Nov. 4 election, GOP political operative Brian Robinson notes the party would still hold a majority on the PSC should Republican incumbents Tim Echols or Fitz Johnson — or both — lose their races to Democratic challengers, Peter Hubbard and Savannah’s Alicia Johnson.
Still, there would be a “blood-in-the-water” effect ahead of next year’s mid-term elections, Robinson warns: “Filled with hope, national Democrats would pour hundreds of millions into Georgia next year.”
Of course, more than two PSC seats will be decided in the Nov. 4 elections, notably:
• In Chatham County, municipal posts are up for grabs in Bloomingdale, Garden City, Port Wentworth, Thunderbolt and Tybee Island. County voters will also be asked to approve a 1% sales tax or SPLOST for capital outlay projects and a homestead exemption for taxes that fund the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS).
Supporters of the homestead exemption say spending constraints must be imposed on the school system. The school system says the revenue from property taxes reflects increased investment in students, teachers and support services and rising costs for all public services.
• Bryan County: A similar homestead exemption will be on the ballots of Bryan County voters. So will a sales tax sales and use tax to provide “property tax relief” for residents of the county and the cities of Pembroke and Richmond Hill.
• Brunswick: Voters in Brunswick in Glynn County are choosing between incumbent Cosby Johnson and Vincent Williams for mayor.
• Liberty County voters are being asked to approve a special option sales tax for transportation and another sales tax to reduce property taxes levied.
• In Effingham County, a sales tax is on the ballot, too — this one, a renewal of the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) to fund capital improvements in the county’s schools. (A renewal of Bryan County’s ESPLOST was defeated by 35 votes in March.) Also, three at-large seats on Rincon’s city council are being contested.