Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022
It’s finally here
Election Day brings a full moon and a lunar eclipse in the hour before the polls open at 7 a.m. today. That’s about all anyone can predict, says The Current’s managing editor, Susan Catron.
Here’s what we know: Polling stations across Coastal Georgia are scheduled to close 12 hours after they open, at 7 p.m. As the counting of Election Day votes gets underway, results from early voting and absentee voting will be posted. All results should be known by midnight.
To follow the vote count in real time tonight, go to http://thecurrentga.org to monitor results. You’ll also find a roundup from Coastal Georgia voters and races, and a collection of links to election-related data, stories, and information about races and ballot measures.
Where our eyes will be glued: Georgia’s First District congressional race between Buddy Carter and Wade Herring; the gubernatorial race between Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams; the U.S. Senate race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, along with a TSPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for transportation projects in Chatham County.
One more thing: There’s also a new way to get news and information plus elections info tonight and tomorrow. Grab your mobile phone and text the message CURRENT to 1-912-434-4995. We’ll send you updates several times each week as we post new stories. You can text us there, too And we’re good about answering our mail!
No worries
A Glynn County election board official says yesterday morning’s explosions and fire at the Symrise chemical plant on Colonel’s Island in the Port of Brunswick won’t affect voter turnout in Glynn County.
Residents of Satilla Shores, Royal Oaks, Sanctuary Cove, and Hickory Bluff were evacuated because of the potential for the release of hydrogen peroxide pinene, a volatile chemical used in the production of fragrances. But last night, Glynn Emergency Management said all residents could return to their homes.
Christina Redden, assistant director of the Glynn County Board of Elections, says there’s no polling station located near the plant and that all eligible voters interested in casting ballots, even those who were evacuated, will face no obstacles in doing so. Camden elections supervisor, Shannon Nettles, said the fire delayed the placement of voting equipment at the Calvary Christian polling place by a few hours but it’s all in place. They don’t expect any further interruptions.
Get an update on the fire and what Symrise makes from The Current’s Mary Landers.
‘Before it’s too late’
Before-it’s-too-late appeals to white grievances and fears aimed at preventing a non-white candidate from winning election to high political office is nothing new in American politics, The Current’s Craig Nelson writes.
The latest example is a radio and digital video ad warning white voters that the Biden administration is pursuing policies aimed at hurting them because of their race.
The ad is appearing in Augusta, Savannah, Albany, Columbus, and Macon markets, as well as in Tallahassee, Fla., near the Georgia border, as organizations that support Kemp and oppose Democrats make a last-minute push to rally white voters from beyond Atlanta to the polls.
The ad is financed by a Washington-based organization founded by former senior officials in the Trump administration.
Money, money, money
Candidates for Coastal Georgia’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives have filed their last campaign finance disclosure forms before today’s midterm elections.
Among contributors to “Buddy Carter for Congress” were a political action committee tied to Enterprise Rent-a-Car, the president of Lazerex Cancer Foundation in California ($2,500), and Meredith Repella Dulany, the wife of one of Savannah’s most influential businessmen. Dulany’s contribution — $2,900 — is the maximum allowed for an individual under federal election laws.
Meanwhile, Carter’s Democratic challenger, Wade Herring, received four-figure checks from fellow lawyers and two weeks ago gave $10,000 to his own campaign. Under federal election law, there is no limit to how much money a candidate can contribution to his or her own campaign.
What does Symrise make at factor where fires forced evacuations?
An early morning fire and multiple explosions Monday morning at the Symrise Chemical Plant at Colonel’s Island forced the evacuation of the plant itself as well as nearby neighborhoods including The Hickory Bluff, Sanctuary Cove, Satilla Shores and Royal Oaks.
History repeats as groups bring racial fear into elections pitches
In the final days of the Kemp-Abrams gubernatorial campaign, a campaign ad appeals to white insecurity. It’s nothing new.
What to do if your vote is challenged on Election Day
Here are several straightforward ways to ensure your vote is counted and two practical remedies for you to consider if your vote remains challenged.
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